Severe hunger still plagues Gaza, warns Islamic Relief
The IPC’s new report on hunger in Gaza shows that “nowhere near enough” aid is getting into the Strip since the ceasefire was announced, says international aid organisation Islamic Relief.
“There has been some fragile improvement to address the famine, but acute malnutrition is still at critical levels in many areas of Gaza and half a million people are still suffering severe hunger as winter sets in,” the organisation said in a statement.
Malnourished children are not getting care due to a shortage of essential medical supplies, food remains unaffordable – if it is available, and the rate of aid coming in is insufficient to due Israeli’s blockade, said Islamic Relief.
“Islamic Relief warns a return to famine remains a real threat in the coming months, unless there is renewed commitment to a full and lasting ceasefire, greater humanitarian access, and progress on rebuilding services, livelihoods and the economy,” the organisation said.
Arjwan al-Dahini, a Palestinian child, who doctors say suffers from severe acute malnutrition, sits with her mother during a medical examination at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on December 16, 2025
‘Hundreds of thousands could rapidly slip back into famine’: UN agencies
The UN’s top agencies have welcomed the IPC’s report that famine is no longer in effect in Gaza, but emphasised the global monitor’s warning that the situation remains critical for civilians in the enclave.
“Without sustained, large-scale expansion of food, livelihood, agriculture and health assistance, together with increased commercial inflows, hundreds of thousands of people could rapidly slip back into famine,” the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
“Humanitarian needs remain staggering, with current assistance addressing only the most basic survival requirements. Children under five, along with pregnant and breastfeeding women, remain among the most vulnerable, facing worryingly high levels of malnutrition despite recent improvements.”
The ceasefire has created space for recovery, but it has not erased the damage of two years of conflict.
Only 50% of #Gaza's health facilities are partially functional and many have been damaged during the conflict https://t.co/ETMYpU6G9n pic.twitter.com/tEqwbQNuNZ
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 19, 2025
