The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report indicates that no areas of Gaza are currently classified as being in famine (IPC Phase 5), following improved humanitarian and commercial access after the 10 October ceasefire. Despite this progress, nearly the entire Gaza Strip remains in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to face very high rates of acute malnutrition.
Between mid-October and the end of November, approximately 1.6 million people—around 77 percent of the analyzed population—experienced crisis-level hunger (Phase 3) or worse. This included over 500,000 people in emergency conditions (Phase 4) and more than 100,000 people in catastrophe-level hunger (Phase 5), highlighting the severity of ongoing food insecurity in the region.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that while famine has been pushed back and more people now have access to food, the gains remain “fragile—perilously so.” Projections indicate that through mid-April 2026, around 571,000 people will continue to face emergency conditions, and roughly 1,900 people are expected to experience catastrophe-level hunger. A worst-case scenario involving renewed hostilities or a disruption of humanitarian and commercial inflows could once again push the entire Gaza Strip toward famine.
Malnutrition remains a critical concern, particularly for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. The report projects that nearly 101,000 children aged six to 59 months will suffer from acute malnutrition through mid-October 2026, including over 31,000 severe cases. An estimated 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will also require treatment, underscoring the urgent need for targeted nutritional support.
While food aid has increased, it largely covers only basic survival needs. Damaged health services, water and sanitation infrastructure, housing, and livelihoods leave families highly vulnerable, especially during the winter months. Guterres highlighted the dire conditions, noting children sleeping in flooded tents and collapsing buildings, and stressed that humanitarian efforts—including 1.5 million daily hot meals and reopened nutrition centers—cannot meet growing needs fast enough.
The IPC report underscores that a truly durable ceasefire, expanded crossings into Gaza, reduced restrictions on critical supplies, safe internal routes, sustained funding, and unhindered humanitarian access are essential to prevent a rapid deterioration of the food security situation. Without these measures and the rebuilding of essential infrastructure, the population remains at significant risk of hunger and long-term trauma.
