More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths, according to a new UN-backed food security report released on Friday.
AMN / UN NEWS
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has declared that the famine now gripping Gaza is not a natural tragedy but a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself.” Citing the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, he stressed that famine arises not from a lack of food but from the deliberate collapse of systems essential for survival.
The IPC projects that famine conditions, already engulfing Gaza Governorate, will soon spread to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis. By the end of September, over 640,000 people will face “catastrophic” levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5), with another 1.14 million in Phase 4 emergency levels and nearly 400,000 in Phase 3 crisis conditions. UN agencies warn that hundreds of thousands are already going days without food.
As the occupying power, Israel has a legal obligation to ensure food and medical supplies, Guterres said, urging immediate action: “No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow – it is now.” UN agencies reiterated their calls for a ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and the release of hostages taken during the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks. they said in a joint statement
The UN also warned that Israel’s intensified military operations in Gaza City risk worsening the catastrophe, leaving sick, elderly, disabled, and malnourished civilians unable to flee. UN Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher concluded bluntly: “It is a famine that could have been prevented—if we had been allowed.”