World Humanitarian Day: ‘In Gaza, we can’t imagine tomorrow’
Story | 19 August 2024
Emergency
A total 96 percent of the population of Gaza is facing acute food insecurity, with 2.15 million people at Crisis levels of hunger or worse. Almost half a million of these are in Catastrophic conditions.
Increased food deliveries to the north and nutrition services have helped to reduce the very worst levels of hunger. However, a high risk of famine persists across the whole Gaza Strip, as long as the conflict continues.
WFP operations are severely affected by an escalation of fighting in the south and centre of Gaza, the limited flow of humanitarian assistance and the worrying security vacuum and lawlessness in the south.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing assistance to over 1 million people across Gaza each month. However, with limited aid entering southern and central Gaza, WFP has been forced to provide reduced rations and prioritize providing hot meals, especially to newly displaced families from Rafah.
To truly turn the corner and prevent famine, adequate and sustained levels of humanitarian assistance must be provided. Efforts to restore law and order are crucial for an effective humanitarian response to meet soaring needs.