What Happened
- The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced on March 3, 2026, that the Kerem Shalom crossing — a key humanitarian aid entry point into the Gaza Strip — will be reopened to allow humanitarian supplies to enter.
- The crossing had been closed since the previous Saturday when Israeli and US forces attacked Iran; the conflict's escalation had shut all crossing points into Gaza, cutting off the territory's population from incoming humanitarian aid.
- WFP Regional Director Samer Abdel Jaber said: "That is timely for us, and we need to get in aid as fast as we can," reflecting the urgency given Gaza's near-total dependence on external aid deliveries.
- Israel's government agency COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) confirmed the Kerem Shalom crossing would reopen for the gradual entry of humanitarian aid.
- As of early 2026, at least 1.6 million people — 77% of Gaza's population — face high levels of acute food insecurity; over 100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face acute malnutrition risk.
- WFP was reaching over 1 million people in Gaza each month with food parcels, bread bundles, hot meals, and school meals before the latest crossing closure — operations now resuming with the reopening.
Static Topic Bridges
World Food Programme (WFP): Mandate and Operations
The WFP is the world's largest humanitarian organisation, with a mandate to save lives in emergencies and use food assistance to build pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity in post-conflict recovery. Established in 1961 and headquartered in Rome, WFP operates in 123+ countries. It is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, corporations, and individuals — receiving no assessed UN budget. WFP won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger, contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict areas, and as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war. In Gaza, WFP leads on food security coordination, logistics, and direct food distribution in the most complex active conflict environment in the world.
- WFP headquarters: Rome, Italy (collocated with FAO and IFAD — the three Rome-based food agencies).
- WFP funding: 100% voluntary; largest donors include the US (~36% of contributions historically), EU, Germany, UK.
- Nobel Peace Prize 2020: Awarded to WFP "for its efforts to combat hunger, its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."
- WFP's role in Gaza: Provides food parcels (flour + food boxes), community kitchen meals (400,000+ daily), school meals, and coordinates the broader food security sector for all humanitarian partners.
- WFP's logistics role: Beyond food, WFP leads the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and provides logistics and supply chain support for the entire humanitarian community in complex emergencies.
Connection to this news: The Kerem Shalom reopening announcement came from WFP precisely because WFP leads humanitarian food operations in Gaza and coordinates with all parties to access populations in need — making its statements on crossing status operationally significant for the entire humanitarian response.
Humanitarian Law and Access: The Legal Framework
The closure of humanitarian aid crossing during active hostilities raises questions of international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly the obligation of all parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance to civilian populations. The Geneva Conventions (particularly Geneva Convention IV on protection of civilians) and their Additional Protocols establish that: humanitarian organisations have the right to offer their services; parties must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief; and starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited. The use of access denial as a tool of military pressure is one of the most contested areas of contemporary humanitarian law enforcement.
- Geneva Convention IV (1949): Protects civilians in conflict; Article 23 obliges parties to allow free passage of food, clothing, and medicines for children under 15, expectant mothers, and maternity cases.
- Additional Protocol I (1977): Article 70 provides that humanitarian relief actions for civilians are obligatory if the civilian population is not adequately supplied.
- Starvation as a war crime: Article 54 of Protocol I prohibits attacking, destroying, or denying objects indispensable to civilian survival; the Rome Statute of the ICC (Article 8) includes starvation as a war crime in international armed conflict.
- Humanitarian access: Cannot be made subject to political conditions under IHL; however, states may enforce security screening of aid convoys.
- ICC and Gaza: The International Criminal Court has examined jurisdiction over alleged crimes in Gaza; arrest warrants and preliminary examinations have been live issues since 2023.
Connection to this news: The crossing closure and subsequent reopening highlight the gap between IHL obligations on humanitarian access and their practical enforcement in active conflict — one of the most persistent challenges in contemporary international humanitarian law.
Food Insecurity as a Weapon of War: Historical and Contemporary Context
The deliberate use of food deprivation to coerce or destroy civilian populations has a long historical record — from medieval sieges to the Bengal Famine (linked to wartime policies) to the Holodomor in Ukraine. In contemporary conflicts, siege tactics, crossing closures, and aid interception have been used in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Gaza. The Gaza conflict has brought renewed attention to the concept of famine as an intentional outcome and the international community's capacity — and will — to prevent it. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, jointly developed by FAO, WFP, and UNICEF, provides the internationally recognised scale for measuring food insecurity severity.
- IPC scale: Phase 1 (Minimal) to Phase 5 (Catastrophe/Famine); Gaza has had areas at IPC Phase 5 — the highest level — since 2023-24.
- IPC Phase 5 (Famine): Requires that at least 20% of households face extreme food gaps, at least 30% of children suffer acute malnutrition, and at least 2 adults or 4 children per 10,000 people die daily from malnutrition or disease and malnutrition combined.
- Holodomor (1932-33): Soviet-era famine in Ukraine, now recognised as genocide by 34 countries; estimated 3.5-7.5 million deaths.
- UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018): Condemns the deliberate starvation of civilians as a violation of IHL; calls for accountability — the first UNSC resolution specifically addressing famine and armed conflict.
- Kerem Shalom crossing: A 24/7 land crossing between Israel and southern Gaza; designed to be the primary goods entry point for Gaza; capacity is limited by the number of trucks that can be inspected and cleared daily.
Connection to this news: The Kerem Shalom reopening, while positive, is a temporary reprieve within a structural crisis — Gaza's food insecurity is deeply embedded in the political and military dynamics of the conflict, making any crossing status change acutely consequential for the 1.6+ million food-insecure people in the territory.
Key Facts & Data
- Kerem Shalom crossing: Primary land entry point for humanitarian goods into Gaza; 24/7 operation (when open).
- WFP Gaza operations: Reaching >1 million people/month with food parcels; 400,000+ meals/day via 45 community kitchens.
- Gaza food insecurity (early 2026): 1.6 million people (77% of population) at high acute food insecurity.
- At-risk groups: >100,000 children and 37,000 pregnant/breastfeeding women face acute malnutrition.
- WFP founding: 1961; HQ Rome; 2020 Nobel Peace Prize; funded 100% by voluntary contributions.
- COGAT: Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories — liaises with humanitarian agencies on access issues.
- IPC Phase 5 (Famine): ≥20% households with extreme food gaps, ≥30% child acute malnutrition, ≥2 adult/4 child deaths per 10,000/day.
- Geneva Convention IV (1949): Obliges parties to allow humanitarian relief for civilians.
- UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018): First resolution specifically condemning starvation as a weapon of war.
- Rome Statute, Article 8: Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare = war crime in international armed conflict.