Integrating emergency nutrition into UNRWA's humanitarian response in Gaza.

Background: The October 2023 war in Gaza triggered a humanitarian crisis. It disrupted access to food and nutrition services, thus worsening food insecurity and increasing malnutrition risks.

Aim: To document the experience of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in providing emergency nutrition services in Gaza during the conflict.

Methods: Through partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund and other partners, UNRWA tracked emergency nutrition interventions in Gaza, including piloting and scaling middle upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for under-5 children, capacity building for staff providing nutrition services and modifying food parcels to meet nutrition needs within the context of the war.

Results: Between January and September 2024, UNRWA distributed food parcels to nearly 1.15 million people in Gaza, conducted 87 551 MUAC screenings for children aged 6-59 months and referred 6398 malnourished cases (MUAC < 12.5 cm) for treatment. UNRWA trained 110 physicians, nurses and midwives to provide nutrition interventions.

Conclusion: Coordination with other partners enabled UNRWA to provide emergency nutrition services during the conflict in Gaza despite the infrastructure damage, resource constraints and operational disruptions. Sustained, flexible and well-coordinated nutrition interventions are needed in Gaza and similar conflict zones to prevent severe acute malnutrition, impaired child growth and development, and child mortality.