Three Years of Conflict in Gaza

Three years after the start of the war in Gaza, the conflict has destroyed the ability of hundreds of thousands of people to access food, water, livelihoods, and essential services. Understanding what is happening in Gaza means understanding that war can not only destroy an entire food system, but also prolong hunger far beyond the most visible phases of an emergency.

Before the conflict, the region produced a significant share of its own food and the population had access to products such as bread, meat, and other essential sources of protein. Today, these foods have become extremely scarce. Families in Gaza survive by relying on foods with little or no nutritional value, consumed in limited quantities simply to avoid starvation.

But hunger is not merely the absence of food. When markets, supply chains, agriculture, fishing, access to water, and even the ability to store and cook food disappear, families gradually lose their capacity to feed themselves. The result is a crisis that affects not only nutrition, but also the health, dignity, and recovery prospects of an entire population.

“Media coverage should not be limited to current hunger, but should focus on the gradual loss of food autonomy. When farmland, markets, and infrastructure across an entire region are destroyed, food systems do not recover overnight.”

Jean Raphaël Poitou, Middle East Advocacy Manager at Action Against Hunger.

“Rebuilding them requires a lengthy process during which the population will continue to face extreme needs.”

Food insecurity and water insecurity are deeply interconnected. Without safe drinking water, it is impossible to cook properly, maintain minimum hygiene standards, or prevent diseases that exacerbate malnutrition, particularly among children. In Gaza, 90% of households lack sufficient access to safe water, two out of three households do not have the minimum amount required to meet their basic needs, and access to latrines remains severely limited for 86% of households. These unsanitary conditions contribute to the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, increasing children’s vulnerability and worsening their nutritional status. An estimated 74,200 children aged 6 to 59 months are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by mid-2027.

Although the most recent assessments no longer indicate famine conditions, more than one million people continue to face critical levels of food insecurity and thousands of children remain at risk of malnutrition. Recovery remains extremely fragile, and any interruption in humanitarian assistance could quickly reverse the progress achieved. The fact that the term “famine” may no longer appear in a classification does not mean that families have stopped going hungry.

“Getting a simple loaf of bread has become a dream. Staying alive is a challenge. I never imagined I would see children with such frail bodies and stomachs growling from hunger,” said Hanneen (name changed for security reasons), a lactation consultant working with Action Against Hunger in the Gaza Strip, in 2025.

After three years of conflict, an entire generation of children has known nothing but war. Years of displacement, insecurity, and lack of access to essential services will have lasting consequences on their health, education, and future prospects. “The prolonged lack of essential nutrients during this period causes lasting damage to children’s physical, nutritional, and cognitive development,” continues Jean Raphaël Poitou. “In addition to the physical harm, constant displacement and deprivation seriously undermine the mental health of children and their families.”

The situation in Gaza illustrates how the destruction of critical infrastructure, restrictions on access, shrinking humanitarian space, and growing dependence on aid can transform an emergency into a protracted crisis. This reality is not limited to Gaza. In the West Bank, nearly 41,000 Palestinians are displaced and face movement restrictions as well as limited access to essential resources.

Action Against Hunger expresses its solidarity with all civilians affected by the conflict. The organisation acknowledges the profound impact and suffering experienced by individuals following the attacks carried out in Israel on 7 October 2023, as well as the devastating consequences of the ensuing conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Lebanon.

Action Against Hunger calls for safe and sustained humanitarian access, the protection of civilians, and a strengthened response to nutrition, food security, and water needs, in order to prevent a crisis that began three years ago from continuing to compromise the future of millions of people.