The Hunger Crisis in Gaza

Each day of the attacks on Gaza in May worsened the hunger crisis. Homes and stores were destroyed. Families lost their shelter, and with it their nourishment.

More than 72,000 Palestinians in Gaza alone were displaced because of the attacks. Long-term aid is on the way, having already begun in some cases, and immediate food and medical aid are critical at the moment to help people in the interim.

Zakat Foundation of America is on the ground in Gaza, feeding 1,000 families a week in partnership with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). Residents are able to go shopping with a voucher from Zakat Foundation that allows them to buy all the supplies they need. This support is going directly to orphans who have lost parents to this conflict, offering emergency relief in the form of medical supplies, mental health services and more.

A young girl shops for groceries to take home.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, nearly one-third of the population — 32.7%, or 1.6 million people — could not afford nutritious food, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. Food insecurity is high among women — 32% of families headed by women are food insecure, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where it is 54%, the WFP shared. This has only worsened, with disease and food insecurity becoming a joint threat that makes

A Zakat Foundation and PCRF representative helps the girl pick out her groceries. With food insecurity affecting about 70% of the population in Gaza, according to the UN’s WFP, life is already disadvantageous for young girls whose dreams, by default, include overcoming extreme adversity.

A young boy looks through cleaning supplies in addition to his groceries as a Zakat Foundation representative comforts him.

More than 200 people in Gaza were killed as a direct result of the Israeli air strikes in May, at least 100 of them women and children.

A young girl looks through the snacks aisle as a Zakat Foundation representative checks in on her.

The rubble is far from being entirely removed and replaced, but Palestinians in Gaza are steadfast nonetheless, doing what they can to survive and rebuild their homes.

Help rebuild Gaza today.