Gaza is no longer experiencing famine according to a major report released Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed global hunger monitor. The organization confirmed that no areas of the Gaza Strip are currently classified in Famine (IPC Phase 5), a significant change from its August assessment which confirmed a "man-made" famine in Gaza Governorate.
The report attributes this improvement directly to the ceasefire agreed in October between Israel and Hamas, which allowed for a substantial influx of humanitarian and commercial aid. This access has enabled families to move from one meal a day to two, marking a critical reversal of the summer's most dire conditions.
Despite the downgrade from Famine, the IPC and UN agencies stress that the situation remains "highly fragile" and critical. The entire Gaza Strip is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), a severe level of food insecurity. An estimated 1.6 million people, or 77% of the population, continue to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the gains "perilously fragile," warning that hundreds of thousands could slip back into famine if support is not sustained and expanded. The IPC warned that under a worst-case scenario of renewed hostilities and halted aid, the entire Strip would be at risk of famine through mid-2026.
The most vulnerable populations continue to suffer profoundly. More than 100,000 children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming year, with over 31,000 facing severe cases. A further 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women also need treatment.
The crisis is driven by widespread displacement and destroyed infrastructure. Since the ceasefire, over 730,000 people have been displaced, many living in water-logged, makeshift shelters with damaged sewage systems and unreliable water. "Gaza's children are no longer facing deadly famine, but they remain in grave danger," said Lucia Elmi of UNICEF, noting their bodies and developing brains carry deep scars from over two years of conflict.
Agency leaders emphasize that current aid meets only basic survival needs and that the window created by the ceasefire must be used to build longer-term recovery. They call for guaranteed safe humanitarian access, lifted restrictions on essential imports, and scaled-up funding to reactivate local food production.
"Food is now in markets, but many families simply cannot afford to buy it," Elmi stated, capturing the ongoing crisis of access amid poverty. The path forward requires moving from immediate aid to supporting self-sufficiency, a process that depends on lasting peace and unimpeded support.