Famine conditions in Gaza have eased, but the improvement is fragile and could reverse as humanitarian aid and nutrition programmes shrink, according to a new assessment released on Thursday.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification projects that about 1.4 million peopleâroughly two-thirds of Gaza's populationâcould face crisis-level or worse hunger by December. Reuters reported that around 1.2 million people were already in that category between mid-April and June.
The temporary improvement followed reduced fighting and increased aid after an October 2025 ceasefire. But food access, clean water, sanitation and medical services remain severely damaged, leaving families dependent on humanitarian supply lines.
Israel disputes parts of the assessment and says sufficient aid has entered Gaza, while accusing Hamas of diverting supplies. Aid agencies say regulatory restrictions, funding cuts and damage to basic infrastructure are undermining delivery and monitoring.
The headline that famine has ended should therefore not be mistaken for recovery. The decisive questions are whether aid can enter consistently, whether vulnerable families can reach it and whether nutrition and sanitation systems can operate at the scale required.
