Palestinian study finds nearly half of West Bank-Gaza children malnourished

Nearly half of all Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are suffering from chronic malnutrition due to Israeli curfews and blockades, according to a Palestinian survey.

The study found 45.5% of children aged 6 months to 5 years are suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Another 32.5% have acute malnutrition - meaning they weigh less than they should for their age or height groups.

Compared to statistics from 2000, the survey found a 22.6% increase in the number of children suffering from moderate growth stunting due to malnutrition and a 36% increase in the number of children who are underweight for their age.

The survey, conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics for UNICEF, was taken between March 23 and June 30.

No data was collected in April, the bureau said, due to a six-week-long Israeli raid on Palestinian cities in the West Bank that effectively shut down government offices.

The study surveyed 5,228 households, including 3,684 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

More than 63 percent of households surveyed said they had faced difficulties getting food for their families during the 22-month-old uprising due to Israeli curfews and a loss of income resulting from the restrictions, the survey said.

The Palestinian report was issued ahead of the planned August 5 release of a report on Palestinian child malnutrition rates commissioned by the US Agency for International Development.

Preliminary figures from that report said nearly one-third of young Palestinian children are chronically malnourished - more than four times as many as before fighting erupted 22 months ago.