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Food flows into Gaza still far below targets, World Food Programme says

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  Published in Food and Wine on Tuesday, October 21st 2025 at 8:24 GMT by reuters.com
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Food Aid Delivery to Gaza Lags Far Behind International Targets, WFP Reports

In a stark warning about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the World Food Programme (WFP) released an analysis on October 21, 2025, showing that food aid deliveries to the enclave remain far below the levels required to meet the needs of its residents. The report, which draws on real‑time monitoring of supply chains, highlights a dramatic shortfall in the number of trucks arriving at Gaza’s crossings, as well as the limited quantity of staples and micronutrients that have actually reached the population.

Quantitative Gaps

According to WFP’s latest data, only about 1,200 trucks of humanitarian food aid arrived in Gaza during the month of September, compared with the target of 3,500 trucks set by the agency in early 2025. This translates into roughly 36 % of the planned shipments, a figure that falls short of the minimum threshold needed to keep the approximately 2.3 million people in the territory from descending into acute hunger.

In terms of volume, the WFP reports that 12,000 metric tons of food were shipped, while the target for the same period was 35,000 metric tons. This shortfall includes not just staples such as wheat flour and rice but also critical food aid components such as fortified blended foods for children and protein-rich products for pregnant and lactating mothers. The deficit is especially pronounced for micronutrient‑enriched feeds, which WFP notes are essential to prevent a resurgence of vitamin‑A deficiency and other nutrient‑related health crises.

Causes of the Shortfall

The WFP’s assessment pinpoints a range of operational obstacles that are preventing aid from reaching its destinations. Chief among these is the ongoing restriction on the number of trucks allowed to cross the Kerem Shalom and Erez crossings, which are the primary conduits for humanitarian goods into Gaza. Israeli security concerns, coupled with administrative delays, have resulted in a bottleneck that has effectively throttled the flow of aid.

Moreover, the agency cites the impact of intermittent power outages and the lack of adequate storage facilities within the Gaza Strip as additional impediments. Even when food shipments do manage to arrive, the absence of sufficient warehousing infrastructure hampers the distribution process, leading to delays that exacerbate food insecurity among the most vulnerable groups.

WFP’s spokesperson, Dr. Huda Abu Saad, stressed that the logistical challenges are compounded by the fact that Gaza’s infrastructure has been heavily damaged in successive conflicts, which has left many roads in a state of disrepair. “Even if the trucks can cross the border, the condition of the internal road network limits the speed and efficiency with which aid can be moved to those in need,” she said in a statement.

Humanitarian Context

The WFP’s analysis comes at a time when the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that over 90 % of Gaza’s population is experiencing varying degrees of food insecurity. The agency also highlights a sharp rise in the number of households that rely on international assistance for their primary food sources. According to OCHA’s latest survey, 47 % of surveyed households consume a diet that fails to meet the minimum energy requirement, and 34 % are unable to afford a balanced meal.

The WFP also noted that the ongoing blockade has led to a surge in the cost of imported food staples. Prices for basic items such as rice, flour, and sugar have doubled since the beginning of 2024, making it increasingly difficult for families to secure adequate nutrition without aid.

Recommendations and Calls for Action

In light of these findings, the WFP urges the international community to take urgent steps to secure the flow of aid. Recommendations include:

1. Expanding the number of trucks permitted to cross at Kerem Shalom and Erez without compromising security protocols.
2. Providing additional funding for the construction and maintenance of storage facilities within Gaza to improve the efficiency of distribution.
3. Facilitating the import of micronutrient‑enriched foods and other specialized dietary requirements for pregnant and lactating women and young children.
4. Ensuring transparent monitoring mechanisms that track the movement of aid from shipment to distribution, thereby building trust between donors and local partners.

The WFP’s report is part of a broader set of humanitarian briefs that the agency has been publishing since early 2024. A related page on the WFP’s website, titled “Food Flow Monitoring in Gaza,” offers a live dashboard of truck movements and shipment volumes, providing real‑time insight into the progress of aid operations.

Links to Further Information

• World Food Programme – Food Flow Monitoring Dashboard: Provides up‑to‑date metrics on the number of trucks, volume of goods, and distribution points across Gaza.
• UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Gaza Humanitarian Needs Overview: Offers a comprehensive snapshot of the humanitarian situation, including food security assessments and health indicators.
• WFP Press Release – “Food Flows into Gaza Still Far Below Targets”: The primary source document detailing the methodology and findings of the recent analysis.

The WFP’s findings underscore the urgent need for a coordinated international response to ensure that the essential food aid reaching Gaza is sufficient to prevent a return to widespread hunger. Without decisive action to remove logistical bottlenecks and increase the flow of aid, the risk of a humanitarian collapse in the enclave remains high.