Assessment of food supply in the Gaza Strip as of July 31, 2024 – Occupied Palestinian Territory

Key messages

• An estimated 79,082–86,925 tonnes of food were delivered to Gaza in July, compared to an updated estimate of 47,443–61,530 tonnes in June. The majority of this estimated increase is due to an increase in commercial cargoes and a decrease in humanitarian cargoes. More permits to import commercial cargoes into Gaza do not necessarily translate into improved food availability and accessibility within Gaza, particularly given the low purchasing power of households. In addition, these figures must be interpreted taking into account data limitations and differences in reporting methodologies.
• The distribution of food by entry point in July is as follows: 59,799–66,095 tons through the Kerem Shalom crossing; 0 tons through Rafah; 175 tons by airdrops; 3,635 tons through the US pier (which was closed on July 18); and 15,473–17,020 tons through the Erez crossing. Focusing on the main entry point—the southern Kerem Shalom crossing—only 724 humanitarian trucks carrying food or mixed items arrived in July, representing approximately 5,035–5,566 tons, or only 8 percent of the total food imported through that crossing. The remaining 54,764–60,529 tons came from commercial trucks.
• Looking at a longer time series, the amount of humanitarian food supplies entering Gaza through the southern border crossings in July is at its lowest level since October 2023 and is only a quarter of the average amount between November and May. Meanwhile, data suggest that commercial food supplies through these crossings have increased significantly. However, the trend in commercial imports is based on UNRWA data from November to April and on data from the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) from May to July, as data gaps limit the use of a consistent source across multiple months. COGAT and UNRWA data for Kerem Shalom and Rafah differ methodologically: COGAT reports trucks that were inspected and transferred to the storage and processing area on the Palestinian side of the border, while UNRWA reports trucks that they sent from the border area to Gaza. Given the significant congestion at the border crossings, it is likely that some of the trucks reported by COGAT did not make it further into Gaza.
• Truck imports through the Erez crossing show a similar trend: available data suggest that between 213 and 315 humanitarian food trucks carrying 3,430 to 4,977 tons of food entered in July. COGAT is the only source reporting commercial imports through Erez and has listed 587 commercial food trucks carrying an estimated 12,043 tons of food.
• In July, FEWS NET commissioned a remote data collection in Gaza on the functioning of markets and trade. Data was collected through two different surveys: one focused on household access to food in markets and reached 339 respondents, the other on the functioning of markets and trade and reached 105 market actors. The results of these surveys show a high dependence on humanitarian food assistance and market purchases, while food prices are high and market actors face significant constraints in obtaining food.