In Gaza, about one in five families say that they are eating only one meal a day, and 50 per cent of them reported that they completely ran out of food at least once in the past month, according to latest UN figures.

This is because of cash shortages, but also because most food items have become exponentially more expensive since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023.

So far this month, three-quarters of households in Gaza have faced difficulties in accessing markets, according to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).

The UN on the ground

Yesterday, the UN and its partners collected hundreds of pallets of supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing – a vital commercial and humanitarian entry point located at the junction of Israel, Egypt, and the Gaza Strip.

The pallets include fruits, vegetables and other food, as well as adult diapers, school supplies and fuel.

So far, partners have provided food parcels and wheat flour to more than 600,000 people as part of the August cycle.

A fragile peace

Despite a ceasefire signed by Israel and Hamas in October 2025, ongoing hostilities and security restrictions hamper local movement and recovery efforts.

Frequent Israeli military strikes continue to kill and displace people across Gaza. More than two million people, almost the Strip's entire population, have been driven from their homes, with most now living in makeshift or fragile shelters.

Around 90 per cent of civilian infrastructure – including homes, hospitals, water plants, and schools – is heavily damaged or destroyed.