Post-Ceasefire Progress Amid Ongoing Hardship
Food security specialists supported by the United Nations have observed positive developments in nutrition and food availability in Gaza following the implementation of a ceasefire in October. However, they noted that as recently as last month, approximately 100,000 individuals remained in situations described as catastrophic.
IPC Analysis Highlights Mixed Outcomes
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) revealed that in August, around 500,000 people, equivalent to a quarter of Gaza's population, resided in areas affected by famine. The latest assessment indicates that a month ago, half a million Gazans were still enduring emergency conditions, with over 100,000 experiencing the highest level of food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 5 or catastrophic conditions.
Israel's foreign ministry criticized the report, stating it was deliberately distorted and did not accurately represent the reality in the Gaza Strip. Cogat, the Israeli military unit overseeing Gaza's crossings, asserted that the weekly influx of food aid trucks exceeded the UN's estimated requirements, claiming the report relied on flawed data collection and sources that overlooked the full extent of humanitarian assistance.
Future Projections and Risks
The IPC projects a continued decline in the number of people facing severe food insecurity, with expectations that by April, the figure could drop to 1,900. Nonetheless, the situation is described as highly fragile, and renewed hostilities could place the entire Gaza Strip at risk of famine. Key factors driving food insecurity include limited humanitarian access, the displacement of more than 730,000 people, and the destruction of livelihoods, such as over 96% of crop land being ruined or inaccessible.
Acute malnutrition remains at critical levels in Gaza City and is serious in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. The IPC clarified that no areas in Gaza are currently classified as in famine, with IPC Phase 5 indicating the most extreme level of food insecurity, labeled as catastrophe for households.
In response, Cogat denied allegations that Israel is blocking winter and medical supplies or that there is a shortage of drinking water, emphasizing that the IPC's methodology reinforces a false narrative influenced by Hamas-sourced claims. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned earlier this month that the second phase of a US-brokered peace plan, involving further troop withdrawals from Gaza and Hamas disarmament, is nearing completion but requires resolution of key issues.
