Action Against Hunger expands its aid in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon

One year into the war in Gaza and the biggest escalation of violence in years in the region, Action Against Hunger (ACF) is expanding its aid in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

Major challenges remain for humanitarian organisations, including difficulties of access to deliver aid and the lack of protection for humanitarian workers. On the other hand, the approaching onset of winter, increasing malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, and massive displacements of thousands of people in the region are creating new challenges for the humanitarian response.  

At the end of July, the UN estimated that 86% of the Gaza Strip was marked as unsafe by Israeli forces, meaning that only 41 square kilometres of ‘safe zone’ remained. “The concept of ‘safe zones’ or ‘humanitarian zones’ in Gaza is non-existent” explains Jean-Raphaël Poitou, Action Against Hunger’s Middle East Advocacy Officer. “In the so-called ‘safe zones’, more than 2 million people are currently unable to access basic levels of hygiene, protection, food and water in accordance with international humanitarian law”, he adds.  

Action Against Hunger keeps calling for a permanent ceasefire to be able to deliver the humanitarian aid needed by the population of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and avoid further civilian casualties. “In Gaza, all land crossings need to be opened for goods and personnel, ensuring the safe movement of all humanitarian and health workers and the provision of critical services such as water, electricity, fuel and food”, explains Jean Raphael Poitou. “The protection of all humanitarian and health workers is essential to save lives,” he adds.  

The arrival of the cold, especially in Gaza, represents a major challenge for humanitarian aid.  Thousands of people have been displaced over the last year, leaving everything behind. “We fear an increase in disease, because it is a coastal area, with many people sleeping on the beach in storms and torrential rains, or in areas with rubbish where rainwater accumulates,” says Natalia Anguera, Action Against Hunger’s operations manager for the Middle East. 

In addition, the collapse of Gaza’s health system, restricted access to sufficient food, clean water and hygiene items, the destruction of agricultural land and local markets, blocked roads and poor shelter conditions have led to the emergence of a serious condition that previously did not exist in the Gaza Strip: malnutrition. “All children in Gaza are now at risk of malnutrition”, declares the nutrition coordinator for Action Against Hunger’s emergency team, Cristina Izquierdo, who has been deployed in Gaza several times.  

In response, Action Against Hunger has implemented both prevention and nutritional treatment programmes for children and pregnant and lactating women, two of the most vulnerable populations in Gaza. “We provide a holistic response, addressing the underlying causes of malnutrition such as insufficient access to water and deplorable hygiene conditions,” stresses Izquierdo.  

In addition to maintaining an emergency response, Action Against Hunger has been working for years with farmers and herders in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in order to promote resilience despite the conflict. Local markets have been destroyed, violence by settlers is increasing, farmers have been displaced, infrastructure is closed, and fuel remains a constraint for transportation. 

“We work so that people have infrastructure, pipelines and roads, so that farmers and herders don’t have to leave the land they work on and can raise their animals,” says Natalia Anguera. “75% of Gaza’s farmland is destroyed, so it is key to keep supporting farmers. Food security is also not depending on external aid”, adds Natalia Anguera.  

Over the past year, despite insecurity and blockades, more than 916,000 people in the Gaza Strip have benefited from Action Against Hunger’s water, sanitation and hygiene activities, as well as the distribution of safe drinking water, hygiene kits and the installation of toilets. In addition, more than 175,000 people have benefited from Action Against Hunger’s food security and livelihoods interventions, and more than 47,000 people, especially children and mothers, have had access to our nutritional support.  

In Gaza, hunger is being used as a weapon of war. “This war shows the failure of the international community to enforce respect for international humanitarian law”, emphazizes Jean-Raphäel Poitou. “We cannot allow key civilian infrastructure to continue to be destroyed, aid to be blocked or agricultural land to be destroyed”. It is imperative to apply international humanitarian law to protect civilians, as well as to ensure that hostages return home. Furthermore, all available mechanisms to protect humanitarian and aid workers must be put in place and respected.  

In Lebanon, increased tension on the border with Israel has displaced more than a million people, according to Lebanese authorities. Prior to this escalation, the number of internally displaced persons had already grown by 1,800% due to the violence on the border.  

In the face of the crisis and regional escalation, Action Against Hunger teams are scaling up their activities, working closely with local authorities, the UN and other organisations to reach affected communities, including Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who had fled one conflict only to find themselves caught in the middle of another. Since the first hours of the escalating conflict in Lebanon, Action Against Hunger has been distributing water, food, blankets and other necessities to vulnerable people and coordinating with authorities and institutions to increase support in collective shelters open to the population.  

Since October 2023, Action Against Hunger has helped more than one million people in Gaza and the West Bank. In Lebanon, where we have been present since 2006, we have supported more than 160,000 people through cash assistance, nutrition and health activities, food aid, and water, sanitation and hygiene services.