Nearly 1 in 2 Breastfeeding Mothers in Gaza Are Malnourished
With famine already declared in northern Gaza and warnings that it may spread to central and southern Gaza by late September, new data from Project HOPE’s health clinics show that pregnant and lactating women are increasingly being diagnosed with acute malnutrition since the aid blockade began in March.
In August 2025, 41.8% of pregnant women and 47.1% of breastfeeding women screened across Project HOPE’s clinics in Gaza were diagnosed with acute malnutrition. To compare, in July 2025, 38.4% of pregnant women and 31.0% of breastfeeding women were diagnosed with acute malnutrition.
Project HOPE operates five health clinics in Gaza, providing 1,500 medical consultations daily, many of which address malnutrition. In Deir al-Balah, our nutrition team has been supporting a mother by the name of Islam, who is currently displaced and living in a tent with her children under extremely harsh conditions. She regularly visits Project HOPE’s clinic seeking care for her young son, Nabeel, and daughter, Noor. Now pregnant and the sole provider of her four children, Islam is deeply concerned about her own nutrition and the health of her unborn child. “Even ants stored food for the dormant season better than I could do for my children,” she said.
Malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women increases the risk of complications such as premature birth, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Infants born to malnourished mothers face immediate health challenges and are more likely to experience long-term developmental delays. Despite Project HOPE clinics providing vital supplements – including high-energy biscuits, ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), breast milk substitutes (RUIF), nutrient pastes for infants and toddlers (RUCF), and micronutrient powders and tablets – the scale of the crisis continues to grow.
Project HOPE urgently calls on Israel to allow full, safe, and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza before more suffer.
Project HOPE has spokespeople available for interviews. For media inquiries, email media@projecthope.org.
