Gaza Hunger Eases but Crisis Persists, IPC Warns

RAMALLAH_Food security conditions in Gaza have improved since famine was declared in parts of the territory last year, but the humanitarian situation remains at crisis levels and could quickly deteriorate if aid access is disrupted, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Thursday.

The IPC, the internationally recognized authority that assesses food insecurity, said reduced fighting and increased humanitarian deliveries following the October 2025 ceasefire had led to measurable improvements across the Palestinian enclave. However, it warned that the gains remain fragile, with inadequate food consumption still affecting most of Gaza’s approximately 2.1 million residents.

According to the IPC, expanded humanitarian access after the ceasefire enabled aid agencies to scale up relief operations, although the benefits have not been evenly distributed across all areas. The organization cautioned that even limited interruptions to humanitarian assistance could rapidly reverse recent progress.

The latest assessment indicates that all five governorates in Gaza are currently classified under Phase 3, or “Crisis,” on the IPC’s five-level food insecurity scale. It also estimates that more than 200,000 people are facing Phase 4, or “Emergency,” conditions, reflecting severe food shortages and heightened vulnerability.

The findings mark a significant change from last August, when the IPC confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City, making it the first famine declaration by the organization in the Middle East. In its previous assessment released in December 2025, the IPC said the feared spread of famine had not materialized and downgraded Gaza Governorate to Phase 4.

Despite the improvement, the IPC said Gaza remains heavily dependent on humanitarian aid because widespread destruction has devastated livelihoods and sharply reduced access to agricultural land. Much of that farmland lies in areas currently under Israeli control, limiting local food production and increasing reliance on external assistance.

The report said household food consumption has improved while rates of acute malnutrition, a potentially life-threatening form of undernutrition, have declined significantly. Even so, the IPC projects that around 1.4 million people will experience acute food insecurity through the end of the year, an increase of roughly 200,000 compared with its previous forecast covering the period from mid-April through June.

Children remain among the most vulnerable. The IPC said prolonged hardship has contributed to increasing cases of stunting, a condition caused by chronic malnutrition that permanently affects physical growth and cognitive development. It estimated that nearly 75,000 children under the age of five will require treatment for acute malnutrition between now and April 2027.

The assessment also projects that almost 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to suffer acute malnutrition during the same period. At the same time, the number of women receiving supplementary nutritional support has fallen because of funding constraints and uncertainty surrounding the future operations of international aid organizations.

The IPC attributed part of that uncertainty to new registration requirements introduced by Israel for international non-governmental organizations last year. Aid groups have argued that the regulations could jeopardize humanitarian operations and force some organizations to suspend activities in Gaza.

Israeli authorities rejected the IPC’s conclusions. COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating humanitarian affairs in Gaza, said it strongly disputed the report, arguing that it lacked objectivity and failed to account for Israeli data regarding the volume of aid entering the territory.

The IPC noted that although humanitarian conditions have improved compared with the period when famine was confirmed, Gaza continues to face a prolonged emergency. Damage to infrastructure, recurring disease outbreaks linked to failing sanitation systems, displacement and continued dependence on humanitarian assistance remain major challenges despite reduced conflict intensity and increased aid deliveries.