Gaza families struggle to feed children as aid cuts and price hikes bite

Families across the Gaza Strip are facing severe nutritional crises as recent interruptions to commercial imports, escalating market prices, and reductions in humanitarian assistance leave parents unable to provide balanced meals for their children.

The United Nations World Food Programme confirmed on October 19 that severe funding deficits forced the agency to scale down its operations across Gaza. The organization reduced its beneficiary numbers from 1.6 million people in September to 1.1 million in October. Food parcels distributed to households were cut by half alongside reduced flour allocations, and daily prepared hot meals dropped from 250,000 to 150,000. According to the agency, roughly 1.4 million residents, representing approximately two-thirds of the territory's population, are enduring acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse.

The humanitarian aid reduction coincided with disruptions to commercial trade. Israeli authorities halted commercial supply trucks entering the enclave on October 14 following a dispute regarding payments requested from freight merchants. COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing access, later stated that operations would gradually restart after merchants indicated that Hamas had dropped the fee demand. Hamas had characterized the levy as a voluntary donation to aid victims of the conflict.

The interruption caused an immediate spike in grocery prices, placing essential staples beyond the reach of widespread unemployed families living in displacement camps. Mothers interviewed by Al Jazeera described being forced to subsist on tea and plain bread, unable to purchase basic items such as eggs, fresh vegetables, milk, or meat. Shop rates for essentials like eggs have surged to around 60 shekels, while basic vegetables such as tomatoes and onions sell for 10 to 15 shekels per kilogram.

Health monitors report that child wellness is deteriorating rapidly under the sustained deprivation. Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed that over 2,800 youngsters were admitted for malnutrition therapy during September, among them more than 360 suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Monthly admissions for children aged six months to five years have consistently averaged about 3,000. Additionally, an August survey supported by UNICEF documented that 12.2 percent of children under five in accessible districts exhibited stunting, reflecting prolonged developmental and dietary deficits.

Local medical specialists warn that the ongoing shortages will worsen physical outcomes for minors of all ages. Paediatricians in Gaza City noted that hospitals continue to treat severe malnutrition cases marked by leg swelling, an indicator of extreme protein deficiency caused by diets heavily reliant on basic carbohydrates. Medical professionals emphasized that recovering from such conditions requires months of consistent nourishment, leaving children vulnerable to enduring health issues if basic food supplies remain unstable.