For the first time in history, the world’s leading food crisis authority has declared a famine in the Middle East.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) announced that Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of people, is experiencing famine. The IPC warned that, unless aid restrictions are lifted and fighting stops, famine could spread south to other cities, including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, by the end of next month.
Aid groups had been warning for months that hunger was worsening in Gaza, especially among children. They blame Israel’s blockade of food and goods, along with the ongoing war, for causing mass starvation. More than half a million people are now at risk of dying from hunger and related diseases, according to the IPC.
Israel has strongly denied these claims. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the IPC’s findings “an outright lie,” saying Israel does not use starvation as a weapon. Israeli officials pointed to the large number of aid trucks that have entered Gaza, though experts argue it has not been nearly enough to meet the territory’s needs.
Famine declarations are rare and only made when strict conditions are met. These include large numbers of households without food, high rates of child malnutrition, and deaths caused directly by hunger and disease. In Gaza, data collected between July and August showed these conditions had been reached.
Experts warn the famine will deepen if fighting continues. The IPC cautioned that by the end of September, one-third of Gaza’s population could face catastrophic hunger.
