Famine declared in Gaza City as crisis deepens across the enclave
For the first time in the region’s history, Gaza City has officially been declared to be experiencing famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the global authority on food crises. Without a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access, this catastrophe risks spreading rapidly to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the coming weeks.
Starvation in Gaza Strip
This stark announcement follows months of warnings from aid organizations about escalating hunger driven by Israel’s military crackdown and stringent aid restrictions. The IPC—a 21-partner initiative under UN agencies—confirms that the thresholds for famine have now been met: widespread household starvation, acute malnutrition in children, and dramatic mortality rates from food-related causes.
UN Emergency Coordinator Tom Fletcher, speaking from Geneva, condemned the obstruction of aid deliveries and demanded Prime Minister Netanyahu open Gaza’s borders to large-scale humanitarian support. “This is a famine we could have averted if assistance had been allowed to reach those suffering,” he said, expressing sorrow and outrage at the avoidable catastrophe.
According to the IPC, over 500,000 Gazans—about one-quarter of the population—face catastrophic levels of hunger, with many at immediate risk of starvation-related deaths and malnutrition.
The Washington Post
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry denied the famine classification, stating that more than 100,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza and that food prices have declined sharply in local markets. The military’s aid coordination body, COGAT, also rejected the report, citing expanded recent aid flows.
Yet, aid groups and civilians tell a different story: deliveries remain inconsistent and insufficient. Many residents face extreme dehydration, contaminated water, and a collapse of medical services amid rising child malnutrition. This grim situation reflects a man-made famine—one that, IPC experts warn, cannot be reversed without urgent and unimpeded humanitarian intervention.
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