Fragile Gaza ceasefire brings fragile gains but immense risk remains for children

A fragile but sustained ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has enabled the first meaningful humanitarian progress in many months, helping to avert famine and deliver essential aid to over a million children. However, senior United Nations officials issued a stark warning on Monday that the crisis remains "extremely precarious and deadly," with profound needs unmet and the specter of a catastrophic reversal ever-present.

Measurable Gains from a Paused Conflict

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban, speaking after a week-long joint mission to Gaza and the occupied West Bank with the World Food Programme's (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau, reported tangible but fragile improvements. "The food security situation has improved, and famine has been reversed," Chaiban stated. This was echoed by WFP's Skau, who noted that during a July visit, Gaza was "on the brink of famine," but the ceasefire has since allowed agencies to "scale up and stabilize the most acute levels of hunger and nutrition." The halt in major hostilities has enabled a significant scale-up in aid: over 1.6 million people now receive clean drinking water, pediatric intensive care has been restored at Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, and the WFP reaches over a million people monthly with food rations. "These gains matter. They show what is possible when the fighting pauses, political commitment is sustained, and humanitarian access opens," Chaiban emphasized.

A Persistent and Deadly Humanitarian Emergency

Despite these efforts, officials stressed that a profound humanitarian catastrophe persists. Chaiban warned that more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began. A staggering 100,000 children remain acutely malnourished and require long-term, specialized care. The shelter crisis is described as acute, with 1.3 million people in urgent need of proper housing. Families are sheltering in tents and bombed-out buildings, a dire situation exacerbated by winter storms. "Tragically, we received reports of at least 10 children dying of hypothermia since winter started," Chaiban said. He also expressed serious concern over Israel's deregistration of international NGOs, warning this action "risks undermining humanitarian operations and sharply limiting the delivery and scale-up of lifesaving assistance."

Urgent Calls for Sustained Access and a Path Forward

UN officials issued a unified call for immediate, predictable, and expanded humanitarian access to solidify the fragile gains and prevent backsliding. Chaiban urged that "all available crossings must operate simultaneously," specifically calling for the reopening of the Rafah crossing for two-way traffic and the establishment of safe aid corridors via Jordan and Egypt. Looking ahead, officials framed the next phase of the political process as a "humanitarian necessity." They highlighted the potential of the newly formed Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to improve aid coordination and early recovery, provided it receives full operational support. Chaiban concluded with a direct appeal: "The children of Gaza and the State of Palestine... do not need sympathy. They need decisions now that give them warmth, safety, food, education and a future."