Famine reversed in Gaza but hunger crisis remains acute, UN-backed analysis finds

Latest Integrated Food Security Phase assessment shows no areas in Gaza currently classified as being in famine

Palestinians wait to receive donated food at a community kitchen in central Gaza. AP

Famine conditions in Gaza have been reversed following a ceasefire and expanded aid access, according to a new UN-backed analysis, though the territory remains locked in a severe food and nutrition crisis.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment indicates that no areas in Gaza are currently classified as in famine (IPC Phase 5), marking a significant improvement from August 2025, when famine was confirmed amid nearly two years of war, mass displacement and tight Israeli restrictions on supplies.

The turnaround has followed a ceasefire that took effect in October, as well as the UN Security Council’s adoption of a comprehensive plan, presented by US President Donald Trump, to end the Gaza war in mid-November, which helped ease access for humanitarian and commercial food deliveries.

But the IPC warned that the gains are extremely precarious and could quickly unravel without sustained peace and continued access. “The latest IPC analysis of the Gaza Strip indicates that no famine has been detected, following a significant reduction in conflict and improved access for both humanitarian and commercial food deliveries,” it said in a statement on Friday.

Israel's COGAT quickly rejected the report's finding, calling it a "blatant, biased, and deliberate disregard for the volumes of food that entered during the ceasefire". The UN and humanitarian groups have accused the Israeli army of blocking aid and using it as a weapon of war.

Between mid-October and the end of November, around 1.6 million people – roughly 77 per cent of Gaza’s population – faced crisis-level hunger or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above). That included more than 500,000 people in emergency (IPC Phase 4) and over 100,000 still experiencing catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5).

In its August assessment, the IPC had confirmed famine in the northern parts of Gaza, with more than half a million people facing starvation, destitution and acute malnutrition. At the time, famine was projected to spread to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis in the centre and south by the end of September, potentially leaving nearly a third of Gaza’s population – about 641,000 people – in catastrophic conditions.

UAE humanitarian ship sets sail with 10 million meals for Gaza

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While the latest findings point to improvement, the overall picture remains bleak. The entire Gaza Strip is classified as being in emergency (IPC Phase 4) through mid-April 2026, the IPC said, reflecting continuing shortages, limited livelihoods and heavy reliance on aid.

The nutrition crisis also persists. Acute malnutrition remains at “critical” levels in Gaza city and “serious” in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis. North Gaza was not formally assessed due to insufficient data, but aid agencies operating there report persistently high numbers of malnutrition cases.

Looking ahead, the IPC projects that the number of people facing the most extreme hunger – IPC Phase 5 – could fall sharply to around 1,900 people by April 2026, provided current conditions hold. Even then, around 1.6 million people are expected to remain in crisis or worse.

Over the next year, nearly 101,000 children aged six to 59 months, and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, are expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition.

The IPC cautioned that under a worst-case scenario – including renewed fighting or a halt to aid and commercial inflows, the entire Gaza Strip could again face famine by mid-April 2026, underscoring how quickly the crisis could spiral back to catastrophe.