United Nations: The Gaza famine has been confirmed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which has reported that 514,000 Palestinians – almost one quarter of Gaza’s population – have been facing famine conditions. The figure is projected to increase to 641,000 by the end of September.
According to the IPC, about 280,000 people in Gaza governorate, covering Gaza City, are already in famine following nearly two years of war between Israel and Hamas. The organisation has warned that famine conditions will likely spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates next month. The IPC has stated that lack of reliable access has prevented full assessment of northern Gaza, where the situation could be even worse.
The United Nations has described the famine as a man-made disaster. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that it represents a moral failure and called for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access. UN human rights chief Volker Turk has warned that starvation-related deaths could amount to war crimes, while aid groups have criticised the lack of urgent international action despite clear data.
Israel has rejected the IPC findings, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the report an ‘outright lie’ and stating that Israel has facilitated 2 million tons of aid into Gaza since the war began. Israeli officials have accused the IPC of relying on biased or incomplete data. The United States has stated that while aid delivery has been obstructed, Hamas has also looted supplies, and stressed that assistance must reach civilians in Gaza.
The IPC, backed by the European Union, Germany, Britain and Canada, has previously declared famine only in Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and Sudan in 2024. For a region to be classified as famine, at least 20 percent of the population must face extreme food shortages, one in three children must be acutely malnourished, and at least two people out of every 10,000 must be dying daily from starvation or related disease.
The crisis has carried major diplomatic fallout. Britain has called the IPC findings ‘utterly horrifying’ and demanded Israel allow unhindered delivery of food, fuel and medicine. Canada, Australia and several European states have warned that the situation in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 65 percent of Americans believe the United States should help those starving in Gaza.
MOST READ | Google Pixel 10 launches with Gemini AI Magic Cue
