Toronto, Jan. 15th. After nearly 500 days of war in Gaza, a ceasefire has been reached. Since conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, almost 46,000 Palestinians and 1,600 Israelis have died. Nearly 2 million people in Gaza — roughly the entire population — have been displaced.
The entire region is facing deadly food insecurity and has little or no access to basic hygiene, clean water, protection, or shelter. For nearly a year and a half, there has been no safe space in Gaza, and survivors have endured months of harsh winter, airstrikes, landmines, bombardments, and critical levels of malnutrition.
Despite the welcome news of a ceasefire, the aftermath still poses significant risks to civilians. Action Against Hunger is calling for increased humanitarian aid. There are only 600 trucks per day currently scheduled to deliver necessities — far from enough to feed a population on the brink of famine.
“Thousands of families have been in extreme hunger for months, not knowing when or where their next meal will come from,” said Natalia Anguera, Action Against Hunger’s Head of Operations for the Middle East. “The opening of the land crossings announced in the ceasefire is vital. We are calling for the opening of as many entry points as possible to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the entire population of the Strip, a territory where internal mobility restrictions could leave entire areas without the necessary support.”
Thousands of families have been in extreme hunger for months, not knowing when or where their next meal will come from.
All of Gaza is at risk of famine. Action Against Hunger is on the ground providing food, water, and hygiene and shelter kits to thousands in need. But Gaza’s hunger crisis is only getting worse, and humanitarian support is needed now more than ever.
Before the conflict, around 500 trucks of humanitarian aid entered the Strip every day, but in 2024, only about 100 trucks per day entered on average. “We welcome the 600 trucks per day agreed in the ceasefire, but it is important to remember that even before the conflict, the humanitarian community was already claiming that 500 trucks per day was insufficient,” said Anguera. “It is more necessary than ever to increase the amount of aid, given that the level of destruction and humanitarian needs are extraordinarily more critical now than they were before October 2023.”
Anguera added that there are numerous limitations on importing certain supplies. “In addition to the entry of trucks, we need to ease on restrictions on the type of materials allowed, especially those related to the rehabilitation of water and sanitation services and essential items to cope with the winter, such as platforms for levelling tents and waterproof clothing,” she said.
“In the aftermath of the ceasefire, we hope to be able to recover the activities we were doing before October 2023, which focused on ensuring that Palestinians have the tools to lead,” said Anguera. “It is essential that all humanitarian activities that follow are of a complementary nature to Palestinian civil society organizations and NGOs. For example, if bakeries and hospitals can be rehabilitated and functioning, we will be able to expand our support to women’s cooperatives in Gaza or increase our nutrition activities in the most affected areas, such as northern Gaza.”
The level of destruction in Gaza is enormous, said Anguera, and humanitarian organizations will have to support shelter spaces for people who have lost their homes, as well as rehabilitate countless houses and structures.
Action Against Hunger has been working in Gaza for more than 20 years. Since October 2023, the organization’s teams have had to focus all their efforts on scaling up the emergency response under unprecedented working conditions. In Gaza alone, Action Against Hunger increased its staff from 60 to 130 humanitarian workers. These efforts have enabled Action Against Hunger to help more than one million people in Gaza and the West Bank through activities to prevent and treat malnutrition among women and children, including through the distribution of meals and clean water, support to farmers and small businesses, the production of fresh food and vegetables in Gaza, and much more.
Action Against Hunger has been working in Gaza since 2005. Since Oct. 7, Action Against Hunger teams have reached more than one million people. Teams distribute hot meals hygiene kits; truck clean water to communities; connect people with shelters; and provide assistance with removal of solid waste management.
Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 56 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
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