UN declares full-blown famine in Gaza City
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An international famine monitoring system has declared a famine in Gaza City and warned that the crisis is spreading rapidly to nearby regions.
According to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Gaza Governorate has been placed under Phase 5, the highest alert level indicating severe starvation, extreme deprivation, and rising deaths.
The IPC projected that by the end of September, this classification could also cover Deir el-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in the south, affecting more than 500,000 people.
The report stated that around 1.07 million residents, or 54 per cent of Gaza’s population, are already living under Phase 4 “emergency” conditions, while another 396,000 people, nearly 20 per cent, face Phase 3 “crisis” conditions.
In its 59-page assessment, the IPC urged an immediate and large-scale humanitarian response, stating that the situation leaves no room for doubt, the Indian Express reported.
Israel, however, rejected the findings, calling the report false and biased. The Israeli military body overseeing aid to Gaza argued that the IPC’s conclusions were based on partial data allegedly provided by Hamas.
The IPC explains that for an area to be formally declared in famine, three conditions must generally be met: at least 20 percent of the population should face extreme food shortages, one in three children should suffer from acute malnutrition, and at least two out of every 10,000 people must die each day from hunger or related diseases.
However, the IPC notes that even if these specific thresholds are not fully met, it can still classify a situation as famine if households are experiencing what it defines as “starvation, destitution, and death.”
Meanwhile, UN human rights chief Volker Türk stated that the famine in Gaza was directly caused by Israeli government actions. He further warned that deaths from starvation could amount to a potential war crime under international law.
The IPC’s findings come after several countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and multiple European states, warned that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis had reached “unimaginable levels” following nearly two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
