Two-thirds of Gazans could face acute hunger by year-end, global monitor says

GENEVA — More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population could face acute hunger by the end of the year as humanitarian agencies reduce aid deliveries due to funding shortages, a global hunger monitor said on Wednesday.

The latest assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that acute malnutrition levels, particularly among children, have significantly declined after food supplies and nutrition services increased following the October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

However, the report warned that these improvements could be reversed as aid access and funding remain uncertain.

Food consumption remains inadequate for most families, with some households resorting to begging and searching for food, the report said.

From mid-April to the end of June, more than 1.2 million people, or about 59% of Gaza’s population, experienced acute hunger, classified as crisis-level or worse. This included around 212,000 people facing emergency conditions, according to the IPC.

The number of people facing acute hunger is expected to increase to more than 1.4 million, or 67% of Gaza’s population, by December.

Most Gazans now depend on humanitarian assistance after two years of war, repeated displacement, and severe restrictions affecting aid deliveries.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Israel does not restrict the entry of food into Gaza and has facilitated the delivery of more than 1.8 million tons of food into the territory since October 2025.

Fragile situation

The IPC said in December that parts of Gaza were no longer experiencing famine conditions, reversing its August assessment. However, it warned that those gains are now at risk as humanitarian assistance declines.

Supplementary feeding programs for pregnant and breastfeeding women reduced the number of people served by half, falling to 6,000 between January and May this year.

Further reductions in aid were expected due to funding shortages and uncertainty over humanitarian groups’ ability to operate.

Israel rejected the IPC’s August findings and has repeatedly denied accusations that it used starvation as a policy in Gaza, although it acknowledged food shortages during that period. It has previously said sufficient aid was allowed into the territory during the conflict.

COGAT, the Israeli military unit responsible for coordinating aid deliveries into Gaza, dismissed the IPC report as biased. It said large amounts of food, water, and medical supplies had entered Gaza since the ceasefire and accused Hamas of diverting and looting aid supplies.

Humanitarian agencies have also warned that Gaza’s water and sanitation systems are facing an unprecedented collapse.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials.

-Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva; additional reporting by Emily Rose and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Sanjeev Miglani/Reuters