A UN-backed body has confirmed famine in Gaza City for the first time, marking a grim milestone in the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative involving UN agencies, aid groups, and governments, has raised its classification for the Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surrounding areas, to Phase 5-the highest and most severe level of its acute food insecurity scale.
The announcement, reported by the BBC on Friday underscores the dire conditions faced by hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amid relentless conflict and restricted aid access.
According to the IPC’s 59-page report, published earlier today, famine conditions are now present in Gaza City, with “catastrophic conditions” projected to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
The report describes the famine as “entirely man-made,” emphasizing that it can be “halted and reversed” with urgent action.
“The time for debate and hesitation has passed, starvation is present and is rapidly spreading,” the IPC stated, warning that “any further delay-even by days-will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality.”
The IPC, recognized as the international community’s primary mechanism for assessing food insecurity, does not formally declare famines but provides critical analysis to guide governments and organizations.
Its latest findings highlight a sharp deterioration in Gaza’s humanitarian situation, driven by ongoing conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on aid delivery.
The report notes that food consumption and acute malnutrition have reached famine thresholds in Gaza City, with mounting evidence of hunger-related deaths.
The crisis has been exacerbated by a near-total blockade on humanitarian and commercial supplies, which has left Gaza’s 2.1 million residents facing acute food insecurity.
The BBC reported that the IPC’s findings point to a collapse of essential services, including healthcare, water, and sanitation, further compounding the risk of starvation and disease.
Humanitarian agencies have called for immediate, large-scale interventions to restore aid flows and protect civilians.
Israel’s Response And Controversy
Israel has strongly disputed the IPC’s findings, with the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), the military body overseeing aid in Gaza, labeling the report “false and biased.”
In a statement, Cogat argued that the IPC’s conclusions rely on “partial, biased data and superficial information originating from Hamas, a terrorist organisation.”
The agency further claimed that the report overlooks Israel’s “extensive humanitarian efforts” in Gaza, such as recent measures to allow limited aid deliveries.
Despite Israel’s objections, the IPC and humanitarian organizations maintain that the crisis is undeniable.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, quoted in related coverage, described the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions,” urging immediate action to prevent further loss of life.
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