/
RSS Feed
More than a year into Israel’s war, the Gaza Strip remains highly vulnerable to famine, despite a recent drop in the number of people facing extreme hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which monitors global hunger crises.
Antoine Renard, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), attributed any improvements in food security to humanitarian aid and commercial shipments entering Gaza. “With local food systems destroyed and farms damaged, people are entirely dependent on supplies coming through the border. For lasting progress, this aid flow must be steady and reliable,” he said.
The IPC reports that over 1.8 million people—roughly 86% of Gaza’s population—are still experiencing severe hunger, with the situation at risk of worsening dramatically. They warn of a potential doubling of hunger levels in the coming months.
Recent reductions in aid, combined with the onset of Gaza’s cold and rainy winter, have exacerbated conditions for many who live in overcrowded tent camps with insufficient food, clean water, and sanitation facilities.
The United States has warned Israel that it may suspend military aid unless more is done to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israeli military sources report that only 5,800 tons of food have entered Gaza this month, a significant drop from the nearly 76,000 tons that arrived in September. A Gaza resident, Aisha Saliby, who was displaced from her home in Gaza City, expressed her despair: “We don’t ask for food or drink; we want the fighting to stop. Let us go home in peace.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Israel’s military pledged to continue following international law and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel has controlled Gaza’s land borders since May.
The Israeli military organization overseeing civilian matters, known as COGAT, claims it places no restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza and attributes delays to U.N. agencies and aid groups. However, these organizations argue that Israeli restrictions, ongoing violence, displacement, and lawlessness have severely hindered their ability to deliver aid effectively.
Israel recently ordered a renewed evacuation of northern Gaza and launched a large-scale military operation. For the first two weeks of October, no food was allowed to enter northern Gaza until shipments resumed earlier this week.
