Gaza aid rises but remains far below need

The U.N. World Food Programme reports that food deliveries into Gaza have risen since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire but remain far below the scale needed to avert catastrophe, with roughly 750 tonnes entering daily against a target of 2,000 tonnes. Only two Israeli-controlled crossings — Kerem Shalom in the south and Kissufim in the centre — are operational, and none currently allow direct aid into the famine‑stricken north. The limited routes mean that while some nutrition supplies for children and pregnant women have been transported north via southern corridors, large-scale convoys have not reached Gaza City or northern areas.

WFP officials say the supplies delivered so far could feed around half a million people for two weeks, but prolonged conflict, mass displacement and shattered infrastructure have left the enclave’s population extremely vulnerable. Many recipients are rationing and storing portions of aid because they fear supplies could stop again, reflecting widespread uncertainty about the ceasefire’s durability. Deliveries only resumed after a short pause following alleged violations of the truce; reported strikes and armed incidents since then have complicated humanitarian operations and increased risks for aid convoys.

The WFP is calling for all border crossings and access routes to be opened and used to rapidly scale up assistance and prevent a full‑scale famine. Aid agencies warn that access restrictions, security threats such as drone or military activity, and bureaucratic or operational limits at crossings are the main barriers to meeting urgent needs across Gaza. Humanitarian coordinators stress that sustained, predictable corridors and protection for civilians and aid workers are essential to reach the most affected communities, especially in the north where no direct deliveries are currently possible.

Israeli authorities have cited security concerns in managing crossings and have at times suspended or restricted flows after reported ceasefire breaches. The dynamic between operational security decisions and humanitarian imperatives remains a central challenge: officials balancing the risk of militant activity against the imperative to prevent mass starvation face mounting international pressure to prioritize civilian protection and aid access.

Humanitarian groups and international actors continue to press for a durable, enforceable mechanism guaranteeing uninterrupted relief flows, expanded crossing operations and effective distribution inside Gaza.