Famine is currently devastating Gaza, where millions suffer from severe food deprivation just miles away from aid supplies waiting at the border. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a leading hunger monitor supported by the United Nations, reports that approximately 500,000 individuals—about a quarter of Gaza's population—are now facing famine conditions, a situation deemed "entirely man-made" due to systemic obstruction of essential food supplies by Israel.
The IPC's findings are alarming, as they reveal that residents in the Gaza City area are experiencing severe conditions characterized by starvation, extreme poverty, and increased mortality. The report highlights three critical indicators: a stark food shortage where one in five households lacks adequate sustenance, acute malnutrition affecting around one-third of children, and a troubling mortality rate with at least 2 in every 10,000 people dying daily due to starvation and related health issues.
Widespread evidence supports the claim that monitoring efforts have broken down, resulting in significant underreporting of deaths directly linked to starvation. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has reported a rise in fatalities due to malnutrition, confirming the dire consequences of the ongoing crisis. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserts that claims of famine are false and attribute the situation to the actions of aid agencies and Hamas.
Restrictions on food entry into Gaza have escalated since the outbreak of conflict in October 2023, following a deadly Hamas attack. The situation deteriorated rapidly when Israel implemented an extensive blockade on goods entering the territory. Eventually, international pressure prompted the government to allow limited supplies into Gaza, alongside the introduction of a controversial food distribution system managed by an American organization, replacing the previous UN-led approach.
This new system, with markedly fewer distribution points, exposes Palestinians to great risk as they must travel long distances to gather food. Increasing incidents of violence have resulted, with the UN documenting nearly 1,000 Palestinian fatalities near distribution sites since May, many attributed to gunfire from Israeli troops.
Although Israel has recently increased the flow of aid trucks and implemented temporary suspensions of combat to facilitate aid transit, humanitarian organizations argue that significant obstacles remain in place, and essential supplies are still critically low. To effectively address the humanitarian crisis, experts demand the entry of more than 600 trucks daily, yet current allowances fall far short of this necessity.
Despite accusations from Israel claiming misappropriation of aid by Hamas, investigations, including one led by the U.S. government, found insufficient evidence to substantiate these claims. Instead, noted instances of looting appear mostly driven by desperate civilians and opportunists looking to profit from scarce resources.
Israeli officials have dismissed the IPC report as biased and filled with fabricated data that caters to Hamas' narrative. Despite these denials, international leaders have voiced strong condemnation, emphasizing that Israel, as the occupying power, holds an obligation under international law to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
With thousands of reservists called up for a planned invasion of Gaza City—an area severely affected by famine—the situation for civilians remains increasingly precarious. UN agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme, express grave concern over the impending offensive, warning that it could exacerbate the humanitarian disaster and endanger vulnerable populations unable to evacuate.
As the situation continues to unfold, the urgency for a comprehensive and unencumbered humanitarian response intensifies, highlighting the profound tragedy engulfing the people of Gaza.
