Gaza city: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have revealed that approximately 1.4 million people, or 67 percent of the Gaza Strip's population, are experiencing acute food insecurity.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the UN agencies issued a joint statement on Thursday indicating that the situation has seen a slight improvement compared to the end of the previous year. However, it remains critical, especially for vulnerable groups, young children, and older individuals. The agencies reported a decrease in the number of people facing acute food insecurity from 1.6 million, or 77 percent of the population, at the end of last year to approximately 1.4 million currently.
Despite the decrease, nearly 212,000 individuals remain in the "emergency" phase, classified as Phase 4 under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The IPC framework categorizes food insecurity into five stages, with Phases 3 to 5 indicating acute levels and Phase 5 representing catastrophic famine conditions.
The joint statement further highlighted that around 74,000 children are anticipated to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the next year. Additionally, approximately 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need nutritional support. The statement emphasized that many of those affected reside in areas close to the line controlled by the Israeli military, where access to humanitarian aid and essential services is severely restricted.