It has been six months since the start of the conflict in Gaza and one million Palestinians continue to face the imminent threat of famine. 85% of Gazan people have been displaced from their homes.
With one in three children acutely malnourished and more than half of the population at immediate risk of famine, Action Against Hunger is launching a nutrition program in Gaza that aims to provide children and breastfeeding women with supplementary nutrients every month.
“Despite extremely challenging security conditions, since the start of the conflict, Action Against Hunger has reached over 800,000 people in Gaza with food, water, and sanitation and hygiene services. Sadly, even more support is needed since the catastrophe in Gaza is worsening,” said Dr. Charles E. Owubah, Action Against Hunger CEO. “We can prevent the worst outcome—famine—with greater humanitarian access to people in need, additional funding, and an immediate and permanent ceasefire and release of all hostages. We must do everything we can to alleviate this unimaginable suffering.”
“We’ve been working in Gaza for 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” warns Vincent Stehli, Action Against Hunger’s Director of Operations. “80% of the children have infectious diseases; 70% have diarrhea. They don’t have enough food. Health services can’t function. It’s a perfect mix for malnutrition to have devastating impacts. This is just the beginning.”
81% of households lack access to safe and clean water and in northern Gaza, people go days and nights without eating. Action Against Hunger staff in Gaza have been direct witnesses to the overcrowded shelters and the astonishing number of children alone and trapped with nowhere safe to go.
“Malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation target the most vulnerable,” said Natalia Anguera, Action Against Hunger’s Head of Operations for the Middle East. “The risk is much higher for young children. Women in Gaza are struggling to breastfeed. Any effort to ensure access to safe drinking water should also include efforts to supply ready-to-use formula for infants who are not breastfed.”
In Gaza, 75% of solid waste is dumped, with no controls or sanitation services. The streets are flooded with sewage water, conditions that are ripe for an explosion of deadly diseases such as cholera.
In Gaza, 50% of households are experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, which is the most severe crisis level. Within the next four months, 7 out of 10 Gazans in the north will be at risk of famine. Our teams have been distributing food, water, hygiene kits, bedding, and other necessities.
The current threat and escalation of violence in Rafah gravely jeopardizes humanitarian operations. “The number of humanitarian staff killed—at least 196 deaths since the start of the conflict—prevents the assurance of safety and access for humanitarian workers to carry out their jobs. The safeguarding of aid workers is not only vital to respond to the pressing needs of the population but is also a fundamental obligation under International Humanitarian Law,” says Owubah.
Action Against Hunger has worked in Gaza since 2005 and the West Bank since 2002. Since October 2023, we have been delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza that includes distributing fresh and dry food, hot meals, and hygiene kits; trucking clean water to communities; connecting people with shelters; and providing assistance with solid waste management.
