WFP: Gaza needs massive scale-up in food aid

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
17 Oct 2025 15:45
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The World Food Programme warns that Gaza needs to be “flooded with food," saying that 560 tonnes entering daily since the ceasefire is far below the required level to reverse famine conditions.

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Palestinians rush toward trucks carrying aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) as they drive through Deir al-Balah, the central Gaza Strip, Palestine, on October 15, 2025. (AP)

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that the current level of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip remains far below what is needed to avert famine, stressing the urgent need for both increased food deliveries and medical intervention to save lives.

A WFP spokesperson told Al Mayadeen that the situation in Gaza remains critical despite a recent increase in aid deliveries since the ceasefire began. She explained that the amount of assistance entering Gaza is not at the required level, emphasizing that “we need to flood Gaza with food.”

The spokesperson added that reversing the famine-level crisis requires intensive medical efforts alongside adequate nutrition, underscoring that malnutrition, hunger, and disease are now deeply intertwined in Gaza’s humanitarian emergency.

560 tonnes of food per day 'not enough'

According to the WFP, approximately 560 tonnes of food have been entering the Gaza Strip daily since the start of the ceasefire, a significant improvement from the blockade period, but still insufficient given the vast scale of need among the population.

The agency reiterated its call for the reopening of Gaza’s northern crossings, warning that current access restrictions are preventing aid from reaching areas most affected by starvation, and that not opening the northern crossings limits the ability to reach the areas most in need.

Earlier this week, the WFP confirmed that 137 aid trucks carrying flour and essential food supplies had entered Gaza to support bakeries and food distribution efforts. The organization also revealed that more than 170,000 tonnes of food are currently ready for transport and could feed up to two million people if access is granted.

Officials in Gaza said that the slow pace of deliveries and restricted access through Israeli-controlled crossings are preventing humanitarian agencies from reaching northern regions, where famine conditions remain acute.