UN Agencies Warn Gaza’s Fragile Gains Against Famine Could Be Reversed Without Sustained Support.
FAO, UNICEF, WFP, WHO urge urgent action as 1.6 million people remain food insecure and malnutrition persists.
Gaza Strip:
The United Nations’ key humanitarian agencies have welcomed news that famine has been temporarily averted in the Gaza Strip, but they have issued a stark warning that these gains remain extremely fragile and could quickly be reversed without sustained aid and access. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) said hunger, malnutrition, disease, and widespread agricultural destruction continue to threaten the population.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, no areas of Gaza are currently classified as facing famine following the October ceasefire and improvements in humanitarian and commercial access. However, at least 1.6 million people, or 77 percent of the population, remain acutely food insecure, including over 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women projected to suffer acute malnutrition through April 2026. Four governorates—North Gaza, Gaza Governorate, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Younis—are classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), reflecting severe food consumption gaps and elevated risk of mortality.
The humanitarian situation remains dire. Since the ceasefire, over 730,000 people have been displaced, many living in overcrowded makeshift shelters. Access to basic water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and health services is limited, while widespread destruction of cropland, livestock, fishing infrastructure, roads, and other essential facilities continues to impede recovery.
Vulnerable populations remain at greatest risk. Despite some improvements in market availability of nutritious food, many families cannot afford it. Nutrition-rich foods, especially proteins, are scarce and expensive, leaving 79 percent of households unable to buy sufficient food or access clean water. Children are not reaching minimum dietary diversity, and two-thirds of households experience severe food poverty. Overcrowded shelters, damaged sewage systems, unreliable water supply, and families burning trash for heat are driving outbreaks of respiratory infections, diarrhea, and skin diseases.
Humanitarian agencies emphasize that local food production is crucial but constrained. “Gaza’s farmers, herders, and fishers are ready to restart food production, but they cannot do so without immediate access to supplies and funding,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience.
UNICEF’s Lucia Elmi highlighted the plight of children: “Gaza’s children are no longer facing famine, but they remain in grave danger. Food is in the markets, but families cannot afford it. Health facilities barely function, and winter is worsening suffering in makeshift shelters. These fragile gains could vanish overnight if fighting resumes.”
WFP Director Ross Smith added: “We have shown that famine can be pushed back when access, security, and funding align. Now is the time to ensure people can reliably access essential services, move from aid dependency toward self-sufficiency, and build a future free from hunger.”
WHO’s Altaf Musani warned that health facilities remain at half capacity, many damaged during the conflict, with shortages of essential supplies. Malnutrition continues to rise, especially among children and women, and WHO is supporting seven severe acute malnutrition stabilization centers across Gaza.
The UN agencies issued a call to action:
Guarantee sustained, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian and commercial access across Gaza.
Lift restrictions on essential imports, including food, nutrition, healthcare supplies, and agricultural inputs.
Scale up funding for food, nutrition, health, WASH, agriculture, and livelihood support to prevent deterioration and enable recovery.
Reactivate local food production and value chains to reduce dependence on aid.
The agencies warned that without decisive action now, the progress made since the ceasefire could unravel rapidly. Only expanded access, supplies, and funding at scale can prevent famine from returning and allow Gaza to move from survival to recovery.
