Gaza – Improvement in food security and child nutrition, but progress remains fragile

The analysis released on Thursday stated that although access to the Gaza Strip has improved, only one crossing, Kerem Shalom in the south of the Strip, remains open, limiting the flow of basic goods needed to support recovery, and keeping the majority of the population dependent on humanitarian aid.

Gazans are still struggling to restore their livelihoods, revive local food production systems, and restart basic services.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Program stressed that the improvement in food security and nutrition indicators shows how quickly conditions can improve when the humanitarian response and commercial activity expand.

But she stressed that families in Gaza are still struggling to meet their basic needs, and that this improvement may quickly reverse unless humanitarian aid continues, the private sector is revitalized, and the necessary financing and investment are available for recovery.

Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Karl Skau, said: “There is progress on food security in Gaza, but it is fragile and could easily reverse. Households still lack water, sanitation, and medicine, and we need sustainable access to aid, financing, and stability that allows Gazans to begin the recovery phase.”

74 thousand children need treatment

According to the analysis, food security and child nutrition conditions have improved compared to December 2025, but humanitarian needs remain great.

It is expected that about 74,000 children will need treatment for acute malnutrition over the next year, in addition to about 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women who will need nutritional support.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: “Rates of acute malnutrition have decreased, but many children still suffer from hunger, and some may never fully recover from the effects of prolonged malnutrition.”

212 thousand people are in the emergency phase

It is estimated that some 1.4 million people – 67 percent of Gaza’s population – face crisis levels or worse of acute food insecurity (stage 3 or higher), compared to 1.6 million people – 77 percent of the population – at the end of last year.

About 212,000 people are still living in food emergency conditions (Phase Four), many of whom reside in areas close to the line controlled by Israeli forces, where access to humanitarian aid and basic services remains extremely difficult.

Four governorates: North Gaza, Gaza, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Yunis are expected to face “alert” levels of malnutrition (second stage), while assessment teams were unable to reach some areas near what is known as the “yellow line,” which prevented them from being classified.

Expansion of humanitarian aid

Food and nutrition assistance has witnessed a significant expansion since the ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025. In May 2026 alone, food parcels reached about 1.5 million people, and about 700,000 people benefited from multi-purpose cash assistance, while nutrition services reached 60 percent of children under five, with increased access to treatment for acute malnutrition.

Despite this improvement, UN agencies confirmed that food rations are still insufficient in terms of quantity, quality and nutritional diversity, and that imports of fresh food and proteins through commercial channels are still irregular.

She pointed out that the decline in malnutrition rates is largely due to the rapid expansion of prevention and nutritional intervention programmes, in addition to improving access to treatment for cases of acute and moderate malnutrition.

However, these gains remain largely dependent on continued humanitarian assistance, and are achieved despite persistent shortages of nutritious food, disease outbreaks, weak water and sanitation services, and the almost complete collapse of livelihoods.

Agriculture is the key to recovery

Although economic recovery has not yet begun on a large scale, the report monitored preliminary indications that local food production could be restored if farmers and ranchers were able to access agricultural land, production inputs, and basic services, including the energy needed for irrigation.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: “Food security in Gaza cannot recover unless local food production resumes and farmers, herders, fishermen and other producers are able to restore their livelihoods.”