The United Nations has officially declared a famine in Gaza – the first such designation in the Middle East – with over 500,000 residents facing catastrophic food shortages. The announcement follows an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report revealing starvation thresholds have been breached, signaling preventable deaths and irreversible societal collapse.
According to UN agencies including FAO, UNICEF, and WFP, famine conditions initially observed in Gaza City now threaten Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. By September’s end, projections indicate 640,000 people will endure catastrophic food insecurity, while 1.14 million face emergency-level shortages.
Children Bear the Brunt
Acute malnutrition among children under five has reached unprecedented levels, with 12,000 cases identified in July alone – a sixfold increase since January. Over 43,400 children and 55,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to face life-threatening malnutrition by mid-2026.
Collapsed Systems, Blocked Aid
Nearly all Gaza’s cropland has been destroyed or made inaccessible, while humanitarian deliveries remain critically insufficient. UN Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher stated food supplies are "piling up outside borders due to systematic obstruction," urging immediate ceasefire and full aid access.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk emphasized the crisis stems from "unlawful restrictions on aid entry" by Israeli authorities. With Gaza’s health system collapsed and disease outbreaks surging, experts warn intensified military operations could deepen the catastrophe.
UN agencies stress only an immediate ceasefire and large-scale humanitarian intervention can prevent further loss of life in what officials describe as a "preventable disaster."
