29. Kumar, B. Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Children Under 5 in the Gaza Strip. Jerusalem: Terres Des Hommes (Ard El Insan), 1995: 64 pp.

The objectives of this study was to assess the nutritional status of children under five and to establish a baseline for the future planning, monitoring and implementation of nutrition interventions in the Gaza Strip. A household survey was conducted according to the standard WHO modified cluster sampling. The sample included 1500 children (705 males and 795 females) from the five representative areas of the Gaza Strip: cities, villages, refugee camps, Bedouin and peri-urban communities. Results indicate that malnutrition is an existing problem. Of the total sample, 15.1% were underweight. Wasting was found in 5.7% of the sample, while stunting was found in 14.2% of the sample. No significant differences were found between the two sexes. However, geographical differences showed that South Gaza suffered from more malnutrition than other areas. Among other things, the author concludes that while there is no need for large scale food distributions, there is an essential need for continuous monitoring and surveillance of the children's nutritional status.