A UN-backed food security body has formally declared a famine in Gaza’s largest city and surrounding areas, warning of an “entirely man-made” humanitarian disaster that is rapidly worsening.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an internationally recognised authority on hunger and malnutrition, said that three strict criteria for famine had now been met: at least 20 percent of households face an extreme lack of food, more than 30 percent of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and at least two people out of every 10,000 are dying each day from starvation.
The IPC report describes the situation as unprecedented in the history of Gaza. “This famine is entirely man-made; it can be halted and reversed,” the experts wrote. “The time for debate and hesitation has passed; starvation is present and is rapidly spreading. Any further delay – even by days – will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality.”
The declaration covers Gaza City, home to an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 people, many of them displaced by nearly two years of conflict. The IPC also warned that famine is likely to emerge in the central and southern towns of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis “in the coming weeks.” Conditions in northern Gaza are believed to be even more severe, though a lack of access has prevented full assessments.
Deaths from malnutrition and starvation are rising sharply. According to figures from Gaza’s health ministry, verified by the World Health Organization, 89 deaths were recorded over the past 22 months, mostly children under 18. In the first 20 days of August alone, 133 people died, including 25 children. Israel disputes the figures, claiming many of the deaths were due to other causes.
Aid delivery remains hampered by ongoing Israeli military operations, damaged infrastructure, administrative restrictions, and looting amid the collapse of law and order. The newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, intended to replace aid groups banned by Israel, has failed to distribute sufficient supplies, according to the report.
“This is the worst, the most critical stage in the entire history of Gaza, not just in this war,” said Amjad Shawa, director of the Gaza NGOs Network. “We must get food, otherwise we cannot imagine what will happen.”
Israel has denied that famine is taking place, pointing to the more than 220 aid trucks that entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings on Thursday. But aid officials warn that without a ceasefire and large-scale relief, the death toll will rise exponentially.
