Israel Gaza War

More than two years of relentless violence, aid blockages and forced displacement by Israeli authorities have spiraled Gaza into a catastrophic health and hunger crisis. Even as a ceasefire is in effect, the health situation remains precarious.

Children are starving and dying of malnutrition, health facilities have been destroyed and there’s no reliable access to clean water. People in Gaza are living in unimaginable conditions amidst this humanitarian catastrophe.

The health care system in Gaza has collapsed due to attacks on health facilities and shortages of electricity, medicine, equipment and specialized personnel. There are no fully functioning hospitals for a population of over 2 million people. Gaza’s health workers continue to serve their communities, but their ability to save lives is hindered due to lack of critical medicines and supplies.

Hunger continues to threaten lives. While the increase in food aid improved nutrition in late 2025, about 77 percent of Gaza’s population — 1.6 million people — are currently facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

Children are especially at risk. In 2025, more than 94,000 children in Gaza were identified as having acute malnutrition, including approximately 19,000 children with life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. Nearly 101,000 children under age 5 and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition and require treatment by October 2026.

While aid delivery has improved under the fragile ceasefire, humanitarian organizations face continued challenges with Israeli authorities restricting some organizations from bringing aid into Gaza and some cargo denied, or delayed, at operational crossings. Americares has an expansive partner network that includes both local and international aid organizations and can quickly pivot and channel funding and medical aid to partner organizations on the ground in Gaza as the situation evolves.

“It is unconscionable that children, families and frontline health workers are dying preventable deaths while millions of dollars’ worth of critical food and medical supplies trickle slowly through limited border crossings. Americares continues to work through every channel to get more lifesaving aid into Gaza.”  

– Deputy Senior Vice President of Emergency Programs Provash Budden