Food insecurity continues during winter: thousands of families in Gaza left without shelter from the cold after floods

• After more than two years of extreme violence and forced displacement, the latest IPC analysis confirms that 77 per cent of the population continues to face life-threatening food insecurity, while the rest suffer from chronic hunger.
• Winter conditions are further exacerbating the crisis. Heavy rains in recent days have flooded Gaza's displacement camps, where thousands of families live in inadequate tents. Shelters and belongings have been destroyed, leaving the population exposed to low temperatures and increasing humanitarian needs.
• After more than two months of ceasefire, humanitarian organisations' access to populations in need has improved slightly. However, aid remains insufficient to meet the needs of the population. Any improvement in food insecurity can be quickly reversed if aid is completely blocked.
• In order to respond to persistent needs, Action Against Hunger teams continue to work on the ground to provide nutritional supplements, drinking water, sand to protect tents from flooding, and rehabilitated drainage and sanitation systems.

Despite the ceasefire and modest improvements in humanitarian access and food availability, hunger in Gaza continues to threaten the entire population. Seventy-five per cent of the population suffers from acute hunger (IPC phase 3 or above), while the rest faces chronic food deprivation. No one in Gaza is safe from hunger.

This situation is exacerbated by extreme weather conditions and damage to infrastructure, as heavy rains in recent days have devastated displacement camps, where thousands of families live in tents without adequate protection.

The floods have inundated shelters, destroyed basic belongings and left many people exposed to low temperatures and new emergencies, further intensifying the already dire humanitarian needs. "The water was like a river flowing towards us; the whole tent was flooded. The tarpaulins collapsed and were damaged. We started building sand barriers in the hope that the water would not get through." Families are living with the impact of flooding, damp shelters and limited heating during the winter, making it difficult to maintain hygiene and nutrition.

The daily struggle to feed oneself in Gaza: families only eat protein once a week

More than two months after the ceasefire, humanitarian organisations' access to populations in need has improved slightly. However, families in Gaza continue to face multiple challenges in accessing adequate nutrition. In Deir Al-Balah, many households consume protein-rich foods or vegetables only once a week. The destruction of farmland, markets and livelihoods has left families struggling to meet their basic food needs. Prices remain high: a box of eggs costs up to 100 NIS (€26), while 80% of families have lost their main source of income.

Natalia Anguera, Operations Director for Action Against Hunger in the Middle East, points out: "What we are seeing is an extremely precarious stabilisation based solely on emergency mechanisms. The entire population of Gaza lives in constant uncertainty. We must not confuse the improvement in our ability to carry out support activities for the population with a real and sustainable recovery: without a clear path to the future, hunger will persist as a method of control, rather than as a resolved crisis."

Our teams remain active on the ground

Action Against Hunger teams continue to work in Gaza with life-saving nutrition programmes, therapeutic food distribution and feeding centres for infants and young children.

In response to winter preparedness and the impact of recent flooding, we are supporting affected communities by providing sand protection to shield tents from rain, drinking water, hygiene promotion, nutritional supplements, and rehabilitation of damaged sewage and sanitation systems. ‘These activities have had a direct and positive impact on the community, improving sanitary conditions, reducing risks and ensuring that families have access to safe assistance in difficult circumstances,’ said a member of Action Against Hunger staff in Gaza.