'Facts prevail over fiction,' Danon says as new UNICEF-led survey challenges Gaza famine claims
The nutrition survey, which was coordinated by the UNICEF, showed that children in Gaza have low levels of acute malnutrition.
A recently released survey conducted jointly by UNICEF has debunked the "false narrative" that Gaza is experiencing a famine, according to Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon. Speaking on Thursday, Danon emphasized that "facts prevail over fiction" and that "UN bodies are acknowledging the fallacy" surrounding the claim.
Danon further criticized Hamas, stating that the terrorist organization "uses civilians in Gaza as human shields." He argued that rather than starving children, Israel is actively fighting against terrorism while the latter employs such tactics.
The UNICEF-led nutrition survey revealed that children in Gaza have low levels of acute malnutrition. Researchers, utilizing the World Health Organization's methodology, measured key indicators such as weight, height, and mid-upper-arm circumference to determine the malnutrition rates among children. The findings demonstrated that acute malnutrition rates across Gaza ranged from 0.2% to 0.8%, which are comparable to or even lower than levels recorded before the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Foreign Ministry officials followed up on the survey, asserting on their official Twitter account that "there is no famine in Gaza." They further noted that malnutrition levels are exceptionally low in comparison to neighboring Arab states and even certain European countries. The report explicitly stated that anyone inclined to consider the data for themselves could easily verify these findings.
Beyond acute malnutrition, the survey also addressed other aspects of children's nutrition in Gaza. One significant concern identified was stunting, which affects approximately one in eight children, indicating prolonged nutritional stress and repeated deprivation. Additionally, the survey highlighted the worrying prevalence of overweight children, emphasizing the importance of diet quality over mere food quantity.
In certain areas like Khan Younis and Rafah, unhealthy food consumption reached as high as 78%, while in Gaza City and northern Gaza, only about 64% of families included fruits or vegetables in their diets.
Earlier this month, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (ICP) released a report highlighting the improvements in food security and nutrition conditions in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in October 2025. The ICP classified the nutrition situation at Phase One, indicating that less than 5% of children are acutely malnourished. However, the organization warned that this situation could worsen to Phase Two, where 5-9.9% of children are acutely malnourished, between July and December 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
