Kushner Claims Gaza Malnutrition Among World's Lowest After Trump 'Flooded' Aid; UN Reports Widespread Hunger

Jared Kushner has claimed Gaza now has 'one of the lowest malnutrition rates in the world' after the Trump administration 'flooded' the territory with aid, despite UN figures showing hunger remains widespread and fragile gains could quickly collapse.

Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy, made the claim during a press appearance in Kyiv, where he appeared alongside US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking about Gaza's future, Kushner said the Trump administration had changed how aid was distributed after the October 2025 ceasefire and argued that the territory's malnutrition rate had fallen dramatically. Jerusalem News Syndicate (JNS) reported that he said Gaza now had 'one of the lowest malnutrition rates in the world'.

He also said Washington and Israel agreed on the 'end state' for Gaza, though he acknowledged political complications because of Israel's looming election.

UN Data Tells a More Complicated Story

UN agencies have acknowledged improvements since aid and commercial traffic increased, but their reports do not describe Gaza as a place where hunger is no longer a serious crisis.

A UNICEF-backed SMART survey conducted in accessible areas of Gaza found Global Acute Malnutrition among children under five at 0.5 per cent, a relatively low level. But the same survey found chronic malnutrition, or stunting, affected 12.2 per cent of children under five, alongside poor diets, maternal malnutrition and widespread childhood illness. Only 22.4 per cent of children aged six to 23 months received a minimum acceptable diet, while 73 per cent had consumed unhealthy foods the previous day.

Kushner's claim appears to reflect Gaza's improved acute-malnutrition indicator rather than the broader nutritional picture documented by UN agencies.

UNICEF also cautioned that the survey covered only accessible areas of Gaza, with about 17 per cent of the population excluded due to access and security constraints, and that it was not designed to provide a nationally representative statistic for international comparison. It said that different indicators should be considered together rather than relying on a single measure to characterise Gaza's overall nutritional situation.

Two-Thirds Projected To Face Crisis-Level Hunger

The latest IPC analysis found that more than 1.2 million people, or 59 per cent of Gaza's population, faced Crisis-level food insecurity or worse between mid-April and the end of June. Conditions were projected to deteriorate between July and December, when more than 1.4 million people, or 67 per cent, are expected to face Crisis conditions or worse.

Crisis-level hunger means families either have serious food gaps or can meet basic food needs only by exhausting essential assets and survival strategies.

The UN also warned that roughly 74,000 children are expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the coming year, while about 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need nutrition support.

Aid Gains Remain Fragile

UN agencies have credited expanded humanitarian assistance with improving conditions from the worst points of the war.

In May, food parcels reached around 1.5 million people, cash assistance peaked at about 700,000 people, and nutrition support reached 60 per cent of children under five. That was a major change from September 2025, when about 500,000 people received some food aid and nutrition coverage for under-fives was below 1%.

But the same UN assessment warned that food rations remained insufficient in quantity, quality and dietary diversity, while imports of fresh produce and protein-rich food were inconsistent. Kerem Shalom/Abu Salem remained the only operational crossing for humanitarian and commercial goods, limiting recovery and leaving most people dependent on aid.

Gaza Plan Faces Political and Humanitarian Doubts

Kushner has made demilitarisation central to the Trump administration's Gaza plan, saying reconstruction will not move forward until Hamas gives up its weapons. After a 17 August meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Kushner said progress on disarmament could begin within 30 days.

Reports said that the meeting ended without a breakthrough, while Israel maintained that it would continue military operations it considered necessary.