In July 2024, the Gaza Strip continues to face a dire humanitarian crisis, with food assistance declining further as the population grapples with ongoing conflict and insecurity. The situation in southern Gaza is particularly worrisome, with Emergency! (IPC Phase 4!) outcomes likely ongoing due to rapid shifts in raid and clearing operations, evacuation orders, and population displacement. Humanitarian organizations have reported that food assistance deliveries reached some of the lowest levels seen since October 2023. Despite this, reports indicate that agencies were able to provide food parcels biweekly to 25-45 percent of the 1.8 million people in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis in June and early July, along with daily hot meals to 30-40 percent of the population.
The lack of income-generating activities has severely constrained households‘ financial access to available market supplies, making humanitarian food and nutrition assistance vital to prevent further deterioration in food consumption, acute malnutrition, and mortality rates. While global acute malnutrition levels remain atypically high, they have not yet reached the Famine (IPC Phase 5) threshold.
In northern Gaza, the entry of humanitarian food assistance also declined in July, although distribution remained significant compared to pre-May levels. Agencies managed to deliver food parcels to around 45 percent of the population in the first half of July. Nutrition services saw mixed trends, with a sharp decline in conflict-affected areas of Gaza City and an increase in North Gaza. Despite ongoing provision of food and nutrition assistance, there is concern about proxy acute malnutrition prevalence, particularly in Gaza City, highlighting the need for comprehensive data collection.
FEWS NET’s analysis for the coming months stresses the importance of continued access to food and nutrition assistance for the population. The unpredictability of ground conditions, operational constraints on assistance delivery, disrupted commercial activity, and high risk of disease spread all contribute to significant uncertainty regarding the future trajectory of acute food insecurity in both northern and southern Gaza. The potential for Famine (IPC Phase 5) remains a looming threat if large-scale assistance is not reliably distributed to the population.
In conclusion, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire, and the provision of humanitarian assistance is crucial to prevent further suffering. The international community must prioritize ensuring safe and unhindered access for humanitarian organizations to deliver lifesaving interventions to the vulnerable population. Without concerted efforts to address the ongoing crisis, the Gaza Strip risks sliding further into a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.
