Gaza famine pushed back, but millions still face hunger and malnutrition, UN says

Food security in Gaza has improved since the ceasefire declared in October, pushing back famine conditions, but the situation remains critical with more than three-quarters of the population still facing acute hunger and malnutrition, a new UN-backed analysis has found.

According to the latest IPC report – a global tracking of malnutrition and food insecurity – 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.  

However, nearly the entire Gaza Strip remains in emergency (IPC Phase 4), with hundreds of thousands of people still experiencing very high acute malnutrition rates.

Between mid-October and the end of November, around 1.6 million people – roughly 77 per cent of the population analysed – faced crisis-level hunger (Phase 3) or worse. This included more than 500,000 people in emergency (Phase 4) and over 100,000 people in catastrophe (Phase 5), the report said.

Gains ‘perilously fragile’

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the latest findings show progress, but warned that the gains remain “fragile – perilously so.”

“Famine has been pushed back. Far more people are able to access the food they need to survive,” he told reporters at UN Headquarters, in New York

He added, however, that 1.6 million people in Gaza – more than 75 per cent of the population – “are projected to face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks.”

The IPC analysis projects that through mid-April 2026, around 571,000 people will remain in emergency conditions, while approximately 1,900 people are expected to continue facing catastrophe-level hunger. Under a worst-case scenario – including renewed hostilities or a halt in humanitarian and commercial inflows – the entire Gaza Strip could again face famine.

Malnutrition major concern

Malnutrition remains a major concern, particularly among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.  

Nearly 101,000 children aged six to 59 months are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition through mid-October 2026, including more than 31,000 severe cases. An estimated 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are also projected to require treatment.

While food aid has increased, the report stresses that assistance is largely meeting only basic survival needs. Health services, water and sanitation systems, housing and livelihoods remain badly damaged, leaving families vulnerable – particularly during winter.

Click here for the report.

‘Truly durable’ ceasefire needed

“Families are enduring the unendurable,” Mr. Guterres said, describing children sleeping in flooded tents and buildings collapsing under heavy rain and wind.

He said humanitarian teams are preparing more than 1.5 million hot meals daily, reopening nutrition centres and restoring water and health services, but warned that needs continue to grow faster than aid delivery.

“We need a truly durable ceasefire,” he said, calling for more crossings into Gaza, fewer restrictions on critical supplies, safe routes within the Strip, sustained funding and unimpeded humanitarian access.

The IPC report underscores that without sustained and expanded access, continued aid and the rebuilding of essential infrastructure, Gaza’s food security situation could rapidly deteriorate again, with long-lasting consequences for an already traumatized population.