WHO: Gaza faces escalating famine risk

In a statement posted on X, WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said that at least 1.6 million people in Gaza may face high levels of acute food insecurity through mid-April 2026.

“Estimates indicate that more than 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from acute malnutrition by April 2026,” Ghebreyesus said on Sunday.

He noted that Gaza’s health system is struggling to cope, with only about 50 percent of health facilities partially operational and facing severe shortages of life-saving equipment and essential medical supplies.

Ghebreyesus stressed that efforts to prevent famine in the besieged enclave remain “extremely fragile,” warning that worst-case scenarios including a renewed escalation of hostilities or a halt in humanitarian aid deliveries due to operational restrictions could push the entire Gaza Strip into full-scale famine by mid-April 2026.

He underlined that improving life-saving services and expanding access to health care in Gaza requires urgent approval for the entry of essential medical supplies and equipment into the Strip.

According to the WHO chief, more than 16,500 patients in Gaza are still awaiting emergency medical evacuation, while Doctors Without Borders has said that the actual number is likely far higher, as many patients remain unregistered.