Hunger and malnutrition stalk Gazans, a year on from ceasefire

A year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was meant to open the door for substantial humanitarian relief, widespread hunger and severe nutritional deficits continue to afflict the Gaza Strip, according to a report by AFP published by Al-Monitor.

Residents across the devastated territory remain heavily reliant on community kitchens operated by charity organizations. In Khan Yunis, families such as that of 35-year-old Niyaha al-Masri endure long daily waits simply to secure a single meal. Masri spends up to six hours standing in food lines to provide for her ten-member household, which includes eight children and her husband, who was injured in both legs during an airstrike. The rations she brings back—often basic portions of rice, lentils, and small amounts of meat—serve as their sole sustenance for the day.

The humanitarian reality stands in contrast to official assessments from Israeli authorities. COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry unit overseeing civilian matters in the Palestinian territories, stated that conditions in Gaza have stabilized. A United Nations-backed body had declared a famine in the region in August 2025, a determination Israel strongly rejected. While the United Nations lifted the famine classification later that December following an influx of aid permitted after the ceasefire, international monitors warn that conditions remain perilous.

Shaun Hughes, a representative for the UN World Food Programme, described the food security crisis as ongoing and severe. Citing figures from July, Hughes noted that roughly 1.4 million of Gaza’s estimated 2.1 million residents experience acute food insecurity. Within that group, approximately 200,000 individuals are living on the verge of famine.

Aid officials emphasize that beyond raw caloric intake, the quality of available nutrition remains a critical danger. Most delivered aid consists of dry goods, flour, and grain, leaving a severe deficit in fresh produce and protein necessary for proper human development. Hughes warned that children and nursing mothers are particularly at risk of long-term developmental damage and immune system failure from persistent nutritional shortages.

Medical workers in Gaza are actively witnessing the consequences. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, malnutrition unit leader Israa al-Najjar reported an uptick in medical conditions tied to compromised immunity caused by poor diets.

A recent study by the humanitarian group Medecins du Monde further highlighted the severity of the crisis, revealing that 93 percent of surveyed pregnant and breastfeeding women in the enclave exhibited symptoms of anaemia. The organization also found that only 17 percent of these women had access to a varied enough diet to satisfy basic nutritional requirements.

For displaced families surviving in makeshift shelters, securing food and basic shelter materials remains an exhausting daily struggle, with many children collecting scrap cardboard and plastic to reinforce worn tents while living on strictly rationed supplies.