Please pray that, during this time of Ramadan rituals, 9-year-old Khalid and his family are able to access nutritious food aid to sustain life and growth. Please pray that, despite closure of crossings into Gaza, quantities of humanitarian food aid continue to reach Gaza, giving hope to Khalid and his family. Please pray that our God of peace and justice look with special love on his children continuing to suffer violence, destruction and fear. Pray that our righteous God empower us to cry out against the powers and principalities that maintain a status quo of injustice and suffering and embolden us to build a world where children can live in freedom, joy, and dignity.
Context: Impact of Israel Iran Military Strikes on Gaza Food Situation
World Food Program (WFP): After the October ceasefire, WFP managed to significantly expand its life-saving operations across the Gaza Strip, reaching more than 1 million people each month through food parcels, bread bundles, hot meals and school meals. To deliver at scale, WFP indicated it requires fast, efficient use of all entry points, secure and unhindered humanitarian access, rehabilitation of vital infrastructure and storage facilities, and fast clearance protocols.
Acute Food Insecurity: Approximately 1.6 million people (roughly 77% of the population) are facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Nearly the entire Gaza Strip remains classified in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 (Emergency). Over 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition through April 2026. In addition, a severe shortage of cooking gas makes meal preparation challenging.
Recent Border Closures: Following military strikes involving Israel and Iran beginning Saturday February 28, Israel closed the three crossings into Gaza, halting the flow of aid. Aid organizations, including the World Food Program, reported their food stocks were completely depleted as of March 3. This is happening in the midst of Ramadan and Lenten fasting rituals which include an emphasis on special traditional foods.
Imminent Reopening: On March 3, 2026, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the World Food Program announced that the Kerem Shalom crossing into southern Gaza was set to reopen for the gradual entry of humanitarian assistance. The two other crossings remain closed. On Feb 27 the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicated that a reduction of humanitarian aid truck offloading rates would further raise food insecurity in Gaza.
Additional reading:
https://www.facebook.com/WorldFoodProgramme/videos/gaza-hot-meals-fixedmp4/939597105057741/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/02/iran-attacks-gaza-under-siege
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/en/?country=PSE
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5762255-aid-shortages-gaza-crisis/
