A global hunger monitoring body says Gaza is no longer experiencing famine, citing improved access for humanitarian and commercial food deliveries following a fragile ceasefire, but warns that the situation across the territory remains highly precarious.
In its latest assessment released Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said conditions have improved since its previous report four months ago, when it found that more than 514,000 people — nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population — were facing famine-level hunger. Despite the change in classification, the IPC cautioned that Gaza remains at risk of sliding back into famine if aid access deteriorates.
“Under a worst-case scenario, which would include renewed hostilities and a halt in humanitarian and commercial inflows, the entire Gaza Strip is at risk of famine through mid-April 2026,” the report said, calling the humanitarian crisis “severe and ongoing.”
Israel controls all entry points into Gaza. Its military aid coordination agency, COGAT, has disputed earlier famine findings and says between 600 and 800 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily since the October ceasefire, with food accounting for roughly 70 per cent of supplies. Hamas disputes those figures, while aid agencies say the volume of assistance remains far below what is needed. Israel denies blocking essential items.
The IPC said no areas in Gaza currently meet the technical definition of famine, which requires at least 20 per cent of the population to face extreme food shortages, one in three children to be acutely malnourished, and daily deaths from hunger-related causes to reach two per 10,000 people. However, the organization stressed that conditions remain fragile and depend on sustained, expanded access for aid and commercial goods.
More than 100,000 people in Gaza are still experiencing “catastrophic” food insecurity — the IPC’s most severe classification at the household level — though that number is projected to fall sharply by April 2026 if current trends hold. The entire Gaza Strip remains classified in an emergency phase, just one level below catastrophe.
The IPC estimates that over the next year nearly 101,000 children aged six to 59 months will suffer from acute malnutrition and require treatment, including more than 31,000 severe cases. An additional 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to face acute malnutrition.
UNICEF reported that 9,300 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in October alone, calling the figure “shockingly high” and warning that aid flows remain insufficient.
Doctors on the ground say the effects of prolonged hunger are still widespread. At Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, physicians are treating children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, the most dangerous stage of hunger. Families described struggling to access protein-rich foods and basic income amid widespread destruction.
Hospital officials say screenings continue to show high rates of malnutrition among children, pregnant women and the elderly, driven by a lack of affordable, nutritious food. Aid groups warn that many families rely heavily on canned goods or community kitchens that lack the nutritional value needed for recovery.
While UN World Food Programme officials say there are signs of improvement — including more people managing two meals a day — they caution that aid delivery remains a “constant struggle” due to congestion and restrictions at border crossings.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have warned that relief operations in Gaza could collapse unless Israel lifts administrative and logistical barriers, including re-registration requirements for aid groups. High food prices and limited access to fresh, nutrient-rich foods continue to undermine recovery efforts, aid agencies say.
“The situation has not improved as much as it should have,” said CARE’s Jolien Veldwijk, warning that without sustained access and adequate nutrition, Gaza remains dangerously close to another humanitarian catastrophe.
