Full Breakdown
New UN-Backed Survey Challenges Starvation Claims in Gaza
8/12/2026, 12:52:11 AM
Core Findings of the Gaza SMART Nutrition Survey
On July 22, 2026, the Gaza SMART nutrition survey—coordinated by the UNICEF-led Nutrition Cluster and presented by the State of Palestine Nutrition Cluster—evaluated 1,335 children under five across areas covering roughly 83 % of Gaza’s population. Seventeen percent could not be surveyed because of security and operational constraints. Using weight-for-height (WHZ) measurements, acute malnutrition rates were recorded between 0.2 % and 0.8 % (global estimate ? 0.5 %). Mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) measurements yielded a rate of 1.3 %. The rates are markedly lower than those reported in neighboring Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Background to the Famine Narrative
The war in Gaza began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel and continued for two years until a cease-fire took effect later in 2025. Throughout the conflict, UN agencies and humanitarian groups warned of imminent famine, citing infant deaths from malnutrition in early 2024 and an IPC declaration of “catastrophic” famine in August 2025. Those warnings formed the basis of accusations that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war.
Data and Statistics
- Sample size: 1,335 children < 5 years
- Geographic coverage: ~83 % of Gaza’s population
- Acute malnutrition (WHZ): 0.2 %–0.8 % (global average ? 0.5 %)
- Acute malnutrition (MUAC): 1.3 %
- Stunting: ~12 % of children (? 1 in 8)
- Overweight & diet quality concerns: 78 % of residents in Khan Younis and Rafah reported unhealthy food consumption; 64 % in Gaza City and northern Gaza reported low fruit/vegetable intake.
Official Statements & Responses
Israeli Ambassador Danon asserted that “there is no famine in Gaza,” a position echoed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Criticism & Opposition
Left-wing politicians continued to claim Gaza was experiencing starvation. In a July 25, 2025 statement, New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani alleged that Israel had blocked aid for “nearly 80 days,” describing the situation as a “heinous war crime.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Earlier UN/UNICEF warnings (2024-2025): Projected tens of thousands of infants at risk of death without aid and an IPC Phase 5 famine designation in August 2025.
- Current survey (July 22, 2026): Shows acute malnutrition at or below pre-war levels, contradicting the famine narrative.
- IPC update (July 23): Reported that large-scale assistance had improved food security since the cease-fire, yet noted that “needs remain high” and a significant portion of the population still faced crisis-level food insecurity.
The disparity between earlier projections and the latest survey highlights a gap in continuous, comprehensive data collection, especially in areas inaccessible to survey teams.
Verbatim Quotes
- “During the war in Gaza, Israel was accused by many countries and by many U.N. officials that we deliberately starved the population in Gaza. That was a blood libel,” — Israeli Ambassador Danon
- “There is no famine in Gaza.” — Foreign Ministry
