Gaza is not currently experiencing famine, according to the latest report from a global tracking organization, following improved access for humanitarian aid and commercial goods after a ceasefire began on October 10. But don’t mistake advancement for stability-the situation remains dire.
Emergency Conditions Persist Across Gaza
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Nearly the entire Gaza Strip remains in emergency conditions, with hundreds of thousands facing acute malnutrition.
- around 1.6 million people – 77 percent of the population analyzed – faced crisis-level hunger or worse between mid-October and the end of November.
- More than 500,000 people were in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), and over 100,000 faced catastrophe (IPC Phase 5).
- Malnutrition is a major concern, especially among children and pregnant/breastfeeding women.
- A durable ceasefire, increased aid access, and infrastructure rebuilding are crucial to prevent a return to famine.
The report, released in December 2025, details a landscape where nearly the entire Gaza Strip is classified as facing crisis-level hunger or worse.
Source: IPC (Issue 142, December 2025)
projected acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip.
Fragile Gains and Future Risks
UN Secretary-general António Guterres acknowledged the progress but cautioned that these gains are “fragile – perilously so.” He stated, “Famine has been pushed back. Far more people are able to access the food they need to survive,” during a press briefing at UN Headquarters in new York.
Though,Guterres emphasized that 1.6 million gazans – over 75 percent of the population – “are projected to face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks.” The analysis projects that around 571,000 people will remain in emergency conditions through mid-april 2026,with approximately 1,900 facing catastrophe-level hunger.
The report warns that a worst-case scenario – including renewed hostilities or disruptions to aid and commercial inflows – could plunge the entire Gaza Strip back into famine.
Malnutrition: A Growing Crisis
malnutrition remains a particularly acute concern, especially for vulnerable groups. nearly 101,000 children aged six to 59 months are expected to 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.
While food aid has increased, it is largely sufficient only for basic survival. Damaged health services, water and sanitation systems, housing, and livelihoods continue to leave families vulnerable, particularly as winter approaches.
“Families are enduring the unendurable,” Guterres said, describing scenes of children sleeping in flooded tents and buildings collapsing in heavy rain and wind. Humanitarian teams are currently preparing over 1.5 million hot meals daily, reopening nutrition centers, and restoring essential services, but needs are outpacing aid delivery.
“We need a truly durable ceasefire,” Guterres stressed, calling for more crossings into Gaza, fewer restrictions on critical supplies, safe routes within the Strip, sustained funding, and unimpeded humanitarian access. the report underscores that sustained aid, infrastructure rebuilding, and continued access are vital to prevent a rapid deterioration of the food security situation and long-lasting consequences for the population.
