Action Against Hunger urges increased humanitarian aid after the ceasefire

Action Against Hunger urges the international community to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, and calls for its efforts to be directed towards the rehabilitation of civilian infrastructure and the establishment of lasting peace.

After 15 months of conflict, the 600 trucks per day provided for in the ceasefire are not enough to respond to the immense needs of the population.  

“Thousands of families have been in extreme hunger for months, not knowing when or where their next meal will come from. The opening of the land crossings announced in the ceasefire is vital,” explains Natalia Anguera, Head of Operations in the Middle East for Action Against Hunger. “We are calling for the opening of as many entry points as possible to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the entire population of the Strip, a territory where internal mobility restrictions could leave entire areas without the necessary support”.

Before the conflict, around 500 trucks of humanitarian aid entered the Strip every day. However, in recent months, the volume of inflows has been negligible: in 2024, only about 100 trucks per day on average. “We welcome the 600 trucks per day agreed in the ceasefire, but it is important to remember that even before the conflict, the humanitarian community was already claiming that 500 trucks per day was insufficient. It is more necessary than ever to increase the amount of aid, given that the level of destruction and humanitarian needs are extraordinarily more critical now than they were before October 2023,” remarks Action Against Hunger’s Middle East Head of Operations.

“Furthermore, there are numerous limitations on importing certain types of supplies”, adds Anguera. “In addition to the entry of trucks, we need the ease on restrictions on the type of materials allowed, especially those related to the rehabilitation of water and sanitation services and essential items to cope with the winter“, she explains.

Action Against Hunger has been working in Gaza for more than 20 years. Since October 2023, the organisation’s teams have had to focus all their efforts on scaling up the emergency response under unprecedented working conditions. In Gaza alone, Action Against Hunger increased its staff from 60 to 130 humanitarian workers. All this has enabled Action Against Hunger to help more than one million people in Gaza and the West Bank through activities including the prevention and treatment of malnutrition among women and children, the distribution of meals and clean water, and the support to farmers and small businesses to ensure their livelihoods and the production of fresh food and vegetables in Gaza.