US Stands Alone as UN Security Council Members Recognize Gaza Famine

By Staff, Agencies

All 14 members of the United Nations Security Council, with the sole exception of the United States, have endorsed a declaration confirming the outbreak of famine in Gaza City and its surrounding areas, as reported by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC].

The joint statement, issued Wednesday after a Council meeting, came just days after the IPC’s assessment was verified by the UN.

The declaration was made against the backdrop of the “Israeli” war on Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, which has already killed an estimated 62,900 Palestinians.

Deaths have been caused both by relentless military bombardment and by the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war.

According to aid agencies, “Israel” has severely restricted the entry of food supplies into Gaza, enforcing a restrictive distribution mechanism that forces starving civilians to gather at designated “distribution points”.

Witnesses report that “Israeli” forces have deliberately opened fire on these gatherings, compounding the humanitarian disaster.

The Council’s members endorsed the IPC’s classification of the famine as a “man-made crisis,” declaring: “We express our deep concern about the presence of famine in Gaza Governorate”.

The statement highlighted that approximately 41,000 children are at risk of death from malnutrition, stressing, “The use of starvation as a weapon of war is prohibited under international law.”

The members further condemned “Israel’s” continued military escalation, demanding “an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire”.

They noted that “Israeli” officials have repeatedly employed stalling tactics to block ceasefire negotiations, prolonging civilian suffering.

Observers said Washington’s refusal to support the declaration was consistent with its long-standing policy of providing unconditional military and political cover to “Israel”, even in the face of overwhelming international consensus.