A year after Gaza ceasefire, families still queue hours for one meal a day

Families are still queueing because the ceasefire did not restore reliable access to enough food for everyone. The World Food Programme says 1.4 million of Gaza’s roughly 2.1 million people remain acutely food insecure. Humanitarian groups are filling a gap that normal food access has not closed.

Niyaha al-Masri shows what this means in practice. She spends six hours or more reaching a community kitchen, then carries home rice, lentils and a little chicken for her eight children and wounded husband. That food becomes the family’s only meal. Flour must be rationed, while fruit is unaffordable.

The ceasefire allowed supplies to enter over two months and conditions improved enough for the UN to lift its famine declaration in December. But the WFP still calls food security extremely serious. Continued shortages, poverty, displacement and limited dietary variety mean many families remain dependent on kitchens and vulnerable to malnutrition.

Famine is a formal, extreme classification used when hunger becomes widespread and severe, with food shortages contributing to deaths and serious malnutrition. Severe hunger describes people struggling to eat enough, but it does not automatically mean the entire area meets famine thresholds. Acute food insecurity covers a wide range of urgent food access problems.

The article reports that the UN-backed IPC declared famine in Gaza in August 2025. It also says 200,000 people were one step below famine in the latest figures. That distinction matters because a person can be in immediate danger without the whole population or area being formally classified as famine-affected.

The declaration was lifted by December after the ceasefire allowed more supplies in for two months. Yet the WFP still described conditions as extremely serious. The different labels show both improvement and continuing danger: famine may recede while severe hunger and malnutrition remain widespread.

The latest figures cited in the article show that food insecurity affects most of Gaza’s population. Shaun Hughes of the UN’s World Food Programme reports that 1.4 million people out of about 2.1 million are acutely food insecure. This means they face serious difficulty obtaining enough food and cannot count on a secure food supply.

The figures also identify an even more endangered group. About 200,000 people are described as being just one step below famine. They face conditions close to the most severe level of food crisis, where shortages and malnutrition can become life-threatening. The article does not provide a separate number for people formally experiencing famine at that time.

These figures were from July, so they describe the situation before the article’s October report. They help explain why community kitchens remain essential despite the ceasefire and increased supply flows. Food is entering Gaza, but the scale of need remains enormous and nutritional quality remains poor.

The ceasefire was expected to let food flood into Gaza, and it did allow more supplies to enter. Over the course of two months, the increased flow eased conditions enough for the UN to lift its famine declaration by December. This shows that access to supplies can quickly affect hunger levels.

The improvement did not mean that families could reliably obtain balanced meals. Masri still spends six hours or more at a community kitchen, and her family survives on rice, lentils and a little chicken. Flour is rationed, and her children dream of fruit they cannot afford. Supplies may arrive without reaching every household in sufficient quantity or variety.

The article presents a continuing dispute over conditions. COGAT told AFP the humanitarian situation was stable, while the WFP called food security extremely serious. The ceasefire reduced the worst pressure, but the figures and ongoing queues show that food needs remained far from resolved.

These organisations perform different roles in the crisis. Humanitarian kitchens distribute prepared food to people who cannot obtain enough elsewhere. The UN-backed IPC assesses food security and declared famine in Gaza in August 2025. The World Food Programme provides food assistance and reports on the scale and seriousness of hunger.

Masri’s family depends on a kitchen for rice, lentils and a little chicken. The IPC’s declaration signalled an extreme level of hunger, while its later removal reflected improved supply flows after the ceasefire. Shaun Hughes, speaking for the WFP, reported that 1.4 million people were acutely food insecure and 200,000 were just below famine.

COGAT, an Israeli defence ministry organisation responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, told AFP that conditions were stable. Hughes offered a less optimistic assessment, calling food security extremely serious. Together, these roles show the difference between delivering aid, measuring need and reporting on access and conditions.

Too few calories leave people weak, but missing nutrients causes additional harm. Malnutrition weakens children’s immune systems, making illness more likely, and can stunt growth. Repeated acute malnutrition can produce cognitive and physical impairments that continue into later life. Pregnant and breastfeeding women also need protein, vitamins and minerals to protect their health and support their children.

The article gives several concrete examples. One of Masri’s sons suffered malnutrition during the 2025 famine, though his condition was slowly improving. At Nasser hospital, staff observed more syndromes and conditions linked to malnutrition. A Medecins du Monde study found anaemia symptoms in 93 percent of pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Only 17 percent of those women had a sufficiently varied diet. That shortage raises health risks even when some dry food is available. Without better access to nutritious food, children may face lasting developmental damage, while mothers and infants remain vulnerable to anaemia and illness.

Calories provide energy, but a healthy diet also needs protein, vitamins and minerals. Wheat flour, rice and other dry goods can prevent some hunger while still leaving nutritional gaps. Shaun Hughes says people cannot survive healthily on dry goods, flour and bread alone, especially children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.

The mechanism is straightforward. High-protein foods, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits provide micronutrients that support the immune system, growth and recovery. In Gaza, Masri’s children dream of fruit because the family cannot afford it. Her son suffered malnutrition, and hospital staff observed conditions linked to poor nutrition.

The consequences extend beyond immediate hunger. Malnutrition can weaken children’s immunity, stunt growth and cause cognitive and physical impairments later in life. The article reports that only 17 percent of pregnant or breastfeeding women had sufficiently varied diets. More food is therefore not enough; people need a broader, nutritious food supply.