Highlights:

  • Seven months into the ceasefire, conditions in the Gaza Strip remain extremely fragile. Humanitarian and commercial cargo are restricted to a single open crossing point, and volumes are insufficient. Constrained deliveries resulted in a reduction in food distributions to half rations during February and March. Different corridors into Gaza, particularly Jordan and Egypt, remain essential to mobilize aid volumes at scale.
  • Food security and nutrition monitoring indicates a precarious situation. Prices of staples including wheat flour prices rose sharply in March while dietary diversity remained inadequate, contributing to rising acute malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women and underlining the need for expanded delivery of commercial cargo including fresh foods and protein sources.

Situation Update:

  • The regional escalation in the Middle East has entered its fifth week. Fuel and food prices have risen globally, while humanitarian supply chains are under pressure.
  • The situation in the West Bank remains tense, characterised by movement restrictions, periodic violence, and growing access constraints affecting humanitarian operations. The threat of missile strikes and falling debris from interceptions is exacerbating security risks.
  • In Gaza, Karam Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom (KS) remains the only operational crossing, constraining humanitarian and commercial access.
  • According to WFP’s March Market Monitor, late March saw sharp increases in wheat flour and food prices, reduced availability, and worsening household food access (41 percent reporting deterioration), driven by reduced commercial inflows. Fuel shortages intensified, with Gaza diesel prices surging by 438 percent and significant supply gaps in the West Bank.