Palestine

For decades, Palestine has been facing a protracted and complex protection and humanitarian crisis. The crisis is tied to prolonged occupation, internal political divisions, and recurrent conflict that pose a threat to stability and development of the Palestinian people.

The humanitarian situation worsened alarmingly after an upsurge in violence from October 2023. As a result, Gaza governorate was classified as experiencing famine in August 2025. This happened despite repeated warnings from WFP and humanitarian agencies of a rapidly worsening situation and urgent calls for a ceasefire, to prevent further deterioration. 

This marked the first famine classification in the Middle East under the IPC system. It signaled that indicators for extreme food consumption gaps, widespread malnutrition and mortality risks had been met in parts of the territory after nearly two years of relentless conflict, displacement, and access constraints.

On 11 October 2025, a ceasefire came into effect which enabled a surge in humanitarian aid volumes entering the Gaza Strip. WFP and partners rapidly scaled up food assistance, bakeries, hot meals, nutrition support and cash-based transfers. A subsequent IPC analysis in December 2025 found that famine conditions had been offset, following improved access and increased food assistance after the October 2025 ceasefire. However, severe acute food insecurity and underlying vulnerabilities remain.

At least 1.6 million people - or 77 per cent of the population - are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). This includes over 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women projected to suffer acute malnutrition through to April 2026.

There is also deep concern over the escalating violence and movement restrictions in the West Bank, which are severely disrupting markets, livelihoods and food security. More than 40,000 people have been displaced since mid-January 2025. 

Prior to the escalation of violence in October 2023, the collapse of all productive sectors, basic social services and infrastructures in Gaza was already shocking. 

The continuous large-scale security, political and economic unrest in the West Bank and the sea, land and air blockade on the Gaza Strip have resulted in economic stagnation, loss of land and restricted trade and access to resources, along with high unemployment and poverty rates. These circumstances continue to exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation. 

The World Food Programme (WFP), through our dual mandate in humanitarian and development, provides life-saving food assistance to the most vulnerable and food insecure non-refugee Palestinians. When conditions allow, WFP can resume work to safeguard livelihoods, build resilience and reconstitute food systems in vulnerable areas. WFP can also lend technical expertise to support national institutions by strengthening their capacities to respond to shocks and building an inclusive social safety net.

WFP provides logistics support to humanitarian and development partners, allowing them to reach more people faster, and at a lower cost to donors and the environment. By offering our cash-based transfer platform to the wider humanitarian and development community, coordinating logistics, and developing an inter-agency common feedback mechanism, WFP contributes to wider humanitarian efforts.