State Department Cites UNICEF Gaza Survey to Rebut Starvation Claims, Pointing to 0.2%-1.9% Malnutrition
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 13
State Department Cites UNICEF Gaza Survey to Rebut Starvation Claims, Pointing to 0.2%-1.9% Malnutrition
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 13
Summary
UNICEF’s latest Gaza nutrition survey found acute malnutrition rates of 0.2%-0.8% by weight-for-height and 1.5%-1.9% by arm-circumference measures, prompting the State Department to say the data “completely shatters” claims Israel deliberately starved civilians.
1,335 children under 5 were surveyed across 83% of Gaza, while 17% of the population could not be reached because of security and operational constraints.
UNICEF said the survey reflects conditions in mid-2026—more than nine months after the IPC confirmed famine in August 2025—and followed a ceasefire and a major increase in humanitarian aid.
Treatment data cited by UNICEF showed acute malnutrition admissions peaked near 17,000 children in August 2025 and fell to about 3,100 by May 2026, while the IPC is still expected to publish a fuller Gaza assessment in coming days.
The dispute sharpens a broader fight over Gaza humanitarian narratives, with U.S. and Israeli officials urging retractions of past famine allegations and UNICEF stressing the new survey was not designed to judge conditions in August 2025.