The spectre of famine returns to Gaza: when a single meal becomes a daily dream
Palestinians queue for meals from a World Central Kitchen distribution point in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, 16 March 2025
Shaimaa Eid reports in The Palestine Chronicle on 15 June 2026:
The decision by the World Central Kitchen in May to reduce the number of meals it provides in the Gaza Strip was not merely an administrative measure or a cutback in a humanitarian program. It came as a devastating blow to hundreds of thousands of families who have become almost entirely dependent on these meals to survive. In a territory shattered by war, where most people have lost their jobs and sources of income, a daily meal has become the last line of defense against hunger.
Today, as humanitarian operations continue to scale back and the amount of available food declines, the specter of famine is once again looming over Gaza. The situation brings back memories of some of the harshest months endured by the population during the war.
In what remains of the Gaza Strip, after Israel took control of large areas of land and forced hundreds of thousands of people into repeated displacement, fears are growing that the humanitarian crisis is entering an even more dangerous phase. Humanitarian estimates indicate that around 1.6 million Palestinians—approximately 77 percent of Gaza’s population—are facing acute levels of food insecurity at a time when humanitarian aid is diminishing and essential services are shrinking day by day.
Children Waiting for a Miracle
As a journalist moving through displacement camps across Gaza, I witness every day what numbers and statistics cannot fully convey. Thousands of families go to sleep without enough food, and thousands of children wake up each morning not knowing whether they will have their next meal.