UN Relief Chief’s “14,000 Dying Babies” Lie Went Viral — But Just How Viral?
Tom Fletcher’s fabrication that 14,000 babies in Gaza faced imminent death racked up 685,000 interactions and reached 4.5 billion potential views in 24 hours—showing the rapid speed of disinformation
On May 20, 2025, UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher made a false claim on the BBC’s Today programme that “There are 14,000 babies that will die in Gaza in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them.” This dramatic claim, made without direct sources or data, quickly spread online and generated countless headlines in the media.
What those headlines didn’t mention—and what the UN later clarified—is that the 14,000 figure wasn’t about deaths within 48 hours. After the initial backlash, the BBC sought clarification from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), which confirmed the number actually comes from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. This report projects 14,100 severe cases of acute malnutrition among children aged six to 59 months over roughly a year—not deaths in 48 hours.
Tracing the Reach and Influence of the “14,000 Babies” False Claim
An analysis of social media posts—excluding Facebook and Instagram—that contain both “14,000” and “babies” found the phrase was used over 133,000 times in one day. These posts generated 685,000 interactions and reached 4.5 billion potential views.
This figure likely underestimates the true spread, as many users shared the story by other means, such as posting screenshots without using those exact keywords. This viral spread highlights how disinformation can quickly take hold and dominate public discourse.
Posts containing the keywords “14,000” and “babies” appear worldwide; however, location data may be unreliable due to the use of VPNs, which can mask users’ true locations and make them appear as if they are posting from the US.
Amplified False Claims and Quiet Corrections
Fletcher’s false claim was widely and rapidly amplified by mainstream media in the US, UK, and Australia. While shocking headlines grab attention for days, the subsequent corrections or retractions rarely receive the same coverage or reach, leaving many unaware that the initial claim was debunked.
During the course of the Israel-Hamas War, the UN and affiliated agencies have repeatedly made alarming claims only to quietly walk them back later to little fanfare. Last year, similar false warnings of an imminent famine risk in Gaza led to comparable waves of disinformation.
I can tell by my social media and Facebook feeds, the amount of anti-Israel propaganda is humongous and greatly disturbing.