Malnutrition rates are reaching “alarming levels” in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organisation has warned, saying the “deliberate blocking” of aid is entirely preventable and has cost many lives, AFP reports.

“Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,” the WHO said in a statement, adding: “Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.”