In a devastating announcement, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the global body that monitors and classifies food crises, has declared that famine is now occurring in Gaza City. This marks the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East and follows months of warnings from aid organizations about a looming starvation crisis in the territory.
According to the IPC’s report, more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing “catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, destitution, and death.” The body projects that the famine, which is currently centered in Gaza City, is likely to spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September. The IPC’s classification is based on a rigorous set of criteria, including extreme lack of food, critical levels of acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths. The report’s findings are based on data analyzed between July 1 and August 15.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment and a failure of humanity itself.” In a statement on X, Guterres emphasized Israel’s “unequivocal obligations under international law” as the occupying power to ensure the population has food and medical supplies. “We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity,” he said.
The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by what aid groups describe as Israel’s restrictions on the entry of food and other aid into Gaza. Organizations like Oxfam have stated that the famine is “entirely driven by Israel’s near-total blockade on food and vital aid” and its use of starvation as a “weapon of war.” The International Rescue Committee (IRC) called the IPC’s confirmation a “damning indictment of the failure to protect civilians and uphold humanitarian law.”
In response to the report, Israel has vehemently rejected the findings. A statement from the Israeli foreign ministry insisted that “there is no famine in Gaza” and claimed the IPC’s assessment was “based on Hamas lies laundered through organizations with vested interests.” The ministry also pointed to a recent “massive influx of aid” that has “flooded the Strip with staple foods and caused a sharp decline in food price.” However, UN officials have countered that while some aid has entered, it remains “vastly insufficient, inconsistent and inaccessible compared to the need.”
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in the deaths of more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.