Food insecurity and malnutrition in Gaza 2026| ��ƽ��

Number of people in Gaza experiencing food insecurity and malnutrition as of January 2026

Characteristic	Number of known fatalities
Facing high levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3)	1,028,000
Facing emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4)	571,000
Facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 5)	1,900
Cases of acute malnutrition among infants under six months, expected in 2026	25,000
Cases of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months, expected in 2026	101,000
Cases of acute malnutrition among children aged 5-17 years, expected in 2026	120,000
Cases of severe malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months, expected in 2026	31,000
Pregnant and breastfeeding women expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026	37,000

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Release date

January 2026

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Region

Palestinian territories

Survey time period

October 7, 2023 to January 28, 2026

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In Gaza in January 2026, 77 percent of the population is facing high levels of food insecurity; more than half are facing emergency levels, while about 2,000 are facing catastrophic levels. These are based on the IPC Acute Food Insecurity Classifications, where "catastrophic" levels are considered famine.

Not only is the entire Gaza Strip living under a hunger crisis, but there are also significant nutritional shortages, where hundreds of thousands of young children or pregnant or nursing women require supplementation to avoid malnutrition. Such nutritional deficiencies in children can have severe long-term consequences, such as stunted growth and cognitive development, compromised immune systems, and higher susceptibility to chronic illness, among others - compounding the physical and mental trauma already caused by the conflict.