Gaza’s children still struggling with hunger as another famine threatens

What the report says

Families in Gaza are still dealing with the consequences of the famine that hit the territory in 2025, even as new warnings about another food emergency emerge, Al Jazeera reported from central Gaza on 9 August 2026. The article focuses on parents trying to feed young children in displacement camps and other crowded areas, where prices are high and food remains scarce because of the long-running siege and wider war-related disruption.

One mother, Sahar al-Bardini, lives in a tent in the al-Zawaida camp with her three children and says she struggles to provide more than one meal a day. Al Jazeera said her children, especially Omar and Sama, became severely weakened during the famine months between August and December 2025 and took months to regain some weight. Another mother, Shimaa, described having to improvise with lentils when she could not find milk for her two-year-old daughter, who remains malnourished.

The report said the United Nations humanitarian office recently warned of a severe food emergency in Gaza, with a large share of the population facing food insecurity and a significant number already living in conditions that often come before a formal famine declaration. Community kitchens are helping many families survive, but the meals usually consist of basic staples and lack the protein and micronutrients children need.

A nutrition specialist quoted by Al Jazeera said recovery from malnutrition takes time, varied food and follow-up care. The piece underscores that even when starvation eases, the health effects on children can continue for months, which is why aid access and household food affordability remain critical.