As World Breastfeeding Week begins, Save the Children and its partners in Gaza are diagnosing high rates of malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women, with rates particularly bad in northern Gaza. Some mothers are resorting to feeding their children water mixed with ground chickpeas or tahini, while others are stopping breastfeeding earlier than they would prefer, due to difficulties and lack of support.  

GAZA, 1 August 2026 – Palestinian mothers in Gaza are struggling to breastfeed their infants more than 10 months since the ‘ceasefire’ agreement was put in place amid Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza, said Save the Children. 

As World Breastfeeding Week begins, Save the Children and its partners in Gaza are  diagnosing high rates of malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women, with rates particularly bad in northern Gaza. Some mothers are resorting to feeding their children water mixed with ground chickpeas or tahini, while others are stopping breastfeeding earlier than they would prefer, due to difficulties and lack of support.  

At least 13% of women with infants in Gaza suffer from breastfeeding-related difficulties, according to an April 2026 UN Report. Ongoing military activities, food insecurity, displacement, poor living conditions, limited food options, and limited access to healthcare are creating challenges for establishing and supporting breastfeeding.  

UN data from July 2026 shows that of the nearly 29,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women screened for malnutrition, more than 20,000 – or two of three – require targeted supplementary feeding. Recent figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) - the leading hunger monitor – last month said that some 24,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women will require urgent nutrition support until April 2027. 

Many of these challenges could be addressed through timely, skilled breastfeeding counselling and practical support, but access to trained providers remains severely limited across Gaza. At the same time, chronic funding shortfalls are forcing humanitarian organisations to scale back lifesaving nutrition, maternal health, breastfeeding support and cash assistance at a time when needs continue to grow, said Save the Children.