Amman, Jordan, December 19, 2025 — Bob Kitchen, IRC Vice President for Emergencies said
“The IPC’s updated analysis for Gaza, which shows a reduction in the number of people facing famine conditions, is a welcome step and reflects the impact that limited increases in food availability can have. However, this must not be misread as a sign that the crisis is over. Hunger in Gaza remains at catastrophic levels, with families still struggling to access sufficient, nutritious food. For children, prolonged malnutrition has lifelong consequences, impairing physical growth, weakening immune systems, and damaging brain development in ways that can permanently affect learning, health and future earning potential, even if food access improves later.
“While food availability has improved in some areas and markets are seeing more goods, aid volumes remain far below what is needed, access is deeply unequal, and many families lack the means to buy what is available. Much of the food entering Gaza is also low in nutritional value, such as sweets and sugary drinks, which does little to support recovery from malnutrition.
“Any easing of the most extreme IPC classification does not change the reality that vast humanitarian needs persist. As winter conditions worsen, with flooding, cold temperatures, rising disease risks and poor shelter, even short disruptions to aid could quickly reverse fragile gains. Without rapid and unimpeded and unhindered humanitarian access at scale, the risk of famine and preventable deaths will quickly return.”
The IRC and our partners work to provide lifesaving services in the occupied Palestinian territory. In Gaza, we work to provide clean water, malnutrition treatment, protection and empowerment for women and children, early childhood development, psychosocial interventions, emergency reproductive health and address critical humanitarian needs. In the West Bank, the IRC and our partners continue to provide psychosocial interventions and early childhood development services, as well as build the capacity of community first aid workers.