[News] One child killed every 40 minutes: Gaza ministry sounds global alarm

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english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/one-child-killed-every-40-minutes--gaza-ministry-sounds-glob>
One child killed every 40 minutes: Gaza ministry sounds global alarm
Al Mayadeen English
May 5, 2025
------------------------------

Amid soaring child deaths and a collapsing health system, Gaza authorities
launch a global plea to end the famine and save children’s lives.

   - [image: Gaza health ministry sounds alarm on famine and child deaths]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/5/5/4658569d-a3fe-4d8e-ac0c-970f30b2dfec.jpg?v=3&width=1000>
   Mona al-Raqab lifts the shirt of her 5-year-old son, Osama al-Raqab,
   revealing signs of malnutrition and worsening cystic fibrosis, Nasser
   Hospital, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (*AP*)

The Palestinian Ministry of Health officially launched earlier today the
Global Solidarity Campaign for the Children of Gaza.

In a press conference held at the Nasser Medical Complex, in front of the
Tahrir Building, health officials, alongside humanitarian advocates and
media representatives, outlined the catastrophic conditions faced by Gaza’s
children and called for immediate international intervention.

The event spotlighted the urgent need for food, medical supplies,
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-s-dire-crisis--no-food--critical-medicine-shortage>
and protective measures for the most vulnerable in the population amid the
ongoing Israeli genocide.

Speakers emphasized that the campaign is not just a symbolic gesture but a
call to action for governments, NGOs, journalists, and civil society
worldwide to unite in halting the ongoing genocide, ending the
blockade-induced famine, and preserving the rights and lives of Gaza’s
children.

The ministry reiterated its appeal to the global community, saying, "Saving
Gaza’s children is not just an option, it is an urgent, moral, and
humanitarian imperative."
Collapsing health system, worsening famine under blockade

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has issued a grave warning over the escalating
humanitarian disaster
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-faces-total-collapse-as-blockade-strangles-aid--un>,
stating that the Israeli occupation continues its systematic policy of
starving more than two million people. For over two months, border
crossings have remained sealed to food and medical supplies, while water
access has been deliberately cut off, deepening the crisis.

According to the Health Ministry, Gaza is experiencing catastrophic health
and humanitarian indicators, leaving no room for timely intervention by
international organizations to save lives.

The ministry confirmed that 16,278 children have been killed
<https://english.almayadeen.net/infograph/how-many-children-has--israel--killed-in-gaza>,
translating to the death of one child every 40 minutes. Moreover, 311
infants were born and killed during the war, underscoring the severe
vulnerability of newborns amid ongoing atrocities.

The widespread destruction of primary healthcare centers has deprived both
children and pregnant women of critical medical care. In addition, 51% of
essential maternal and child medications are now unavailable, including
therapeutic supplements, vitamins, and vaccinations, further straining the
already decimated health infrastructure.

Health officials also reported that the entry of polio vaccines continues
to be obstructed, threatening the collapse of the Ministry’s disease
prevention campaigns. The blockade has intensified acute malnutrition among
Gaza’s children. The number of child deaths due to starvation and related
complications has risen to 57, according to official data.

Further compounding the crisis, the ministry reported that several children
were killed in direct attacks on charitable food kitchens while attempting
to receive food portions.

This unprecedented situation, the ministry stressed, demands urgent and
coordinated global action to halt the genocide, lift the blockade, and
protect Gaza’s children from further suffering.

*Read more: Child malnutrition in Gaza surges amid prolonged starvation: AP
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/child-malnutrition-in-gaza-surges-amid-prolonged-starvation>*
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