The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Trump administration and the international community to address continuing malnutrition crisis for children in Gaza after the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that starving mothers are giving birth to underweight or premature babies who die in intensive care units or struggle to survive.
Thousands of children in Gaza have been treated for acute malnutrition in Gaza since the October ceasefire that was supposed to allow entry of much more humanitarian aid. The Associated Press reports that aid deliveries into Gaza are “falling far short of the amount called for under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.”
UNICEF said that 9,300 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in October.
SEE: ‘Shockingly high’ number of Gaza children still acutely malnourished after truce, UN says – Reuters
In a statement, CAIR said:
“The latest UNICEF findings reveal a humanitarian catastrophe that cannot be ignored. No child should suffer or die from preventable malnutrition, especially when the international community has the ability and the responsibility to ensure adequate aid reaches Gaza.
“We call on the Trump administration to honor its commitments under the ceasefire, remove remaining barriers to humanitarian access, and work with international partners to guarantee the immediate and unrestricted flow of food, medical supplies and aid personnel.”
“We also urge all governments, aid agencies and global leaders of conscience to act swiftly. Every day of inaction costs more children their health, their futures and their lives.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR reiterated its long-standing call for unrestricted humanitarian aid, protection of civilians and the implementation of lasting solutions that safeguard the rights and welfare of all people in the region.
Yesterday, CAIR said U.S. and international media outlets must speak out after a new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that Israel killed more journalists in 2025 than any other country.
Israel slaughtered more than 70,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. The true figure is likely to be much higher.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com