UN-Backed Organization Declares Historic Famine in Gaza Amid Ongoing “Israeli” War

By Staff, Agencies

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC], a UN-supported body tasked with tracking global hunger, has officially declared a famine in Gaza City for the first time.

The recognition marks a historic and tragic milestone: it is the first officially declared famine in the Middle East and only the fifth ever issued by the IPC since its establishment in 2004.

The IPC’s decision comes after months of warnings and hesitation due to insufficient data. Its benchmarks for famine are severe: at least 20% of households facing extreme food scarcity, 30% of children suffering acute malnutrition, and a minimum of two deaths per 10,000 people per day from starvation.

Gaza City, with its half a million residents, now meets these grim criteria.

“Israeli” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied famine exists in Gaza, even as his forces escalate the war.

International criticism of the apartheid “Israeli” entity’s starvation policy has mounted, prompting Tel Aviv to claim that “hundreds of trucks” of aid have been allowed in. Yet humanitarian agencies note that supplies remain grossly insufficient.

According to IPC data, the famine currently affects Gaza City and surrounding towns in the “Gaza Governorate”.

The situation is catastrophic, with more than 500,000 residents enduring acute deprivation. By September, the IPC warns, famine could engulf other areas, placing more than 1 million people in emergency food insecurity. UNICEF and Save the Children have both warned of worsening conditions.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that 271 people have already died from starvation, including 112 children. In total, nearly 62,122 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been martyred since the “Israel” entity’s war began on October 7, 2023, with another 156,758 injured.

The humanitarian crisis has been compounded by the entity’s closure of all border crossings since March 2, when it violated a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Meanwhile, the entity has mobilized 60,000 reservists and intensified airstrikes on Gaza City in preparation for a full-scale military takeover. The assault has forced mass displacement as residents flee bombardments and advancing troops.

The IPC famine declaration underscores the scale of Gaza’s devastation: a war-torn population starved under siege, marking an unprecedented moment in both Middle Eastern and global humanitarian history.