The leading food security initiative has declared a famine in parts of northern Gaza. The situation is also dire elsewhere, the IPC reported. Prime Minister Netanyahu disagrees, saying he is instead pursuing"hunger prevention."
Famine has been declared in a northern area of the Gaza Strip. The necessary criteria have been met, according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) initiative. This concerns the Gaza governorate, which also includes Gaza City.
The initiative reported that the lives of 132,000 children under the age of five are at risk due to malnutrition. 41,000 of these are considered particularly high-risk cases, double the number from the previous assessment in May.
The famine is man-made, the IPC writes in a post on Platform X. It can be stopped if sufficient food is allowed into the Gaza Strip.
First declaration of famine in the Middle East
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this is the first time that a famine has been declared in a Middle Eastern country."An immediate ceasefire and an end to the conflict are crucial to enable unhindered, large-scale humanitarian assistance to save lives," the initiative said.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher criticized the food backlog at the borders and appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:"Let us allow food and other aid to flow in freely and in large quantities. Stop the retaliation."
The IPC initiative expects that the famine could spread to the more southern regions of Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah during September.
Netanyahu: "Israel pursues a policy of hunger prevention"
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the report a "blatant lie." Israel's policy is not one of starvation, but of famine prevention, the prime minister wrote on Platform X. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has facilitated the delivery of two million tons of aid – 101,000 trucks – to the Gaza Strip. However, many trucks were looted before they reached the aid distribution warehouses. In the past, the Israeli government had primarily blamed the terrorist organization Hamas for looting.
The UN also speaks of looting - but unlike Israel, they blame it primarily on starving people, not Hamas.
Israel says despite IPC evidence there is"no famine"
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also stated after the IPC publication: "There is no famine in Gaza." The IPC assessment was fabricated to serve a "fake Hamas campaign." Since the war began, more than 100,000 truckloads of humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip. In recent weeks, the"large amount of humanitarian aid" has led to a "sharp drop in food prices."
The number of truck deliveries published by Israel cannot currently be independently confirmed. However, as aid organizations have repeatedly emphasized, 100,000 truckloads are far from sufficient. Before October 7, 2023, according to the organization Medico International, between 500 and 600 trucks entered the Gaza Strip daily. This would amount to 342,500 to 411,000 trucks in the 685-day war—significantly more than the 100,000 trucks recorded by Israel. In addition, the massive destruction of infrastructure and agricultural land means that demand is likely to be significantly higher now than before the war began.
Strict criteria for declaring famine
Before a famine is declared, three criteria must be met: At least 20 percent of households are affected by extreme food shortages, at least 30 percent of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and at least two adults or four children per 10,000 inhabitants die every day from hunger or the combination of malnutrition and disease. All three apply, as Jean-Martin Bauer of the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a briefing for journalists in Geneva.
The IPC scale assigns five levels of food insecurity to a country or region. The highest—and worst—level is level five:"Catastrophe/Famine." Below this level, they are referred to as"food crises." Until now, level four ("Emergency") applied to the entire Gaza Strip.
The IPC Initiative was founded in 2004. Members include nearly two dozen United Nations agencies and aid organizations. It is responsible for assessing hunger situations around the world. According to the IPC, four famines have been confirmed in the past 15 years: in Somalia in 2011, in South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and most recently in Sudan in 2024.
Palestinian Authority calls for action
The Palestinian Authority is calling on the international community to act. All countries, and especially the United Nations Security Council, must now increase pressure on Israel, the Authority demands, according to a report by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. This is the only way to address the famine and prevent its spread.
International courts were called upon to hold those responsible accountable. The Palestinian Authority added that border crossings must be opened, aid supplies allowed in, and the immediate reconstruction of Gaza must begin.
Guterres:"Failure of humanity itself"
For months, aid organizations and the United Nations have been warning about the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip. UN Secretary-General António Guterres blames Israel for the famine."As an occupying power, Israel has clear obligations under international law—including the duty to ensure the supply of food and medicine to the population," Guterres said. What is now happening is the"deliberate collapse of the systems necessary for human survival."
It is a man-made disaster, moral bankruptcy, and a"failure of humanity itself," Guterres continued. The situation in Gaza cannot be allowed to continue unpunished."No more excuses. The time to act is not tomorrow—it is now. We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and full, unhindered humanitarian access."
Human Rights Commissioner speaks of war crimes
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk blamed the Israeli government for the famine in the northern Gaza Strip. Türk stated that this was the"direct result of the measures taken by the Israeli government." The use of hunger as a weapon was a war crime.
In response, the Israeli military authority Cogat accuses the United Nations of spreading unsubstantiated claims. Cogat points to Hamas, which it accuses of a"campaign of lies about famine" – despite the extensive IPC documentation.
Development Minister calls for more aid
Germany's Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan called for significantly more aid to be allowed in the Gaza Strip. The report from the responsible IPC initiative clearly demonstrates the catastrophic situation in Gaza, the SPD politician explained.
"More and more people—especially children—are starving before our eyes. This cannot continue. The famine is entirely man-made," said Alabali Radovan."Access to aid supplies has improved slightly, but the IPC report also shows that this is far from sufficient. An immediate ceasefire is needed, and at the same time, Hamas must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally."
