Famine warning in Gaza

According to Reuters, speaking at a conference in Brussels on aid to Gaza, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Gaza is in a state of famine...

Crowds gather to receive food aid in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Getty Images

According to the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC), 70% of people in northern Gaza are experiencing the most severe food shortages, more than three times the 20% threshold for famine. An estimated two in 10,000 people die every day from hunger or malnutrition and disease. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said 27 children and three adults have died from malnutrition so far this year. A total of 1.1 million Gazans, about half the population, are facing dire food shortages; some 300,000 people in the areas are now at risk of famine-scale deaths.

The prospect of a man-made famine in Gaza has prompted the strongest criticism of Israel by Western allies since it launched a war against Hamas following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to Reuters, the head of foreign policy of the European Union (EU) Josep Borrell spoke at a conference in Brussels on aid for Gaza, saying that Gaza is no longer on the brink of famine, but is in a state of famine... Famine is used as a weapon of war caused by Israel itself.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 18 called on Israeli authorities to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released in December 2023 warned that famine could strike the Gaza Strip by the end of May if Israel and Hamas failed to reach an immediate ceasefire and establish sustainable aid supplies. Since then, the conditions necessary to prevent famine have not been met, while the latest evidence suggests that famine could strike northern Gaza anytime between March and May 2024.

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