The United Nations has officially declared a famine in Gaza, with more than half a million Palestinians facing “catastrophic” hunger.
This declaration comes as the death toll continues to rise, with two Palestinians starving to death in the past 24 hours and 71 people killed in Israeli attacks across the enclave.
According to the territory’s Health Ministry, the situation is dire, with many more at risk of starvation and death.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher emphasized that the famine is entirely preventable, stating that food cannot get through to the Palestinian territory “because of systematic obstruction by Israel”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has rejected the UN’s famine declaration, calling the report “based on Hamas lies” and claiming there is no famine in Gaza.
However, the UN’s findings are supported by numerous reports of widespread hunger and malnutrition in the region.
The situation in Gaza is unfolding into a full-scale humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition among children is accelerating “at a catastrophic pace”, with more than 12,000 children identified as acutely malnourished in July alone. This represents a six-fold increase since the start of the year.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself”.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirms that famine has been reached in Gaza Governorate, which covers about 20% of the Gaza Strip.
By the end of September, more than 640,000 people are expected to face “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity. An additional 1.14 million people in the enclave will be in phase 4, with a further 396,000 people facing phase 3 “crisis” conditions.
The civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount, with at least 62,263 people killed and 157,365 wounded since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
In the past 24 hours alone, at least 52 Palestinians have been killed across Gaza, including 36 in Gaza City, where the most intense bombardments are taking place. The situation is dire, with many more at risk of injury or death.
The international community has expressed concern over the situation in Gaza, with many calling for immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk stated that the famine is the “direct result” of Israeli Government policies. The US State Department has acknowledged that 100% of the population in Gaza is at severe levels of acute food insecurity.