The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the
world’s leading authority on food crises, has officially declared famine in
Gaza City, with warnings that the catastrophic conditions are likely to expand
across the Gaza Strip unless an immediate ceasefire is implemented and
humanitarian aid restrictions are lifted. Over half a million people, about a
quarter of Gaza’s population, face starvation and death from malnutrition after
22 months of conflict. The declaration has intensified international scrutiny
on Israel’s military campaign and humanitarian policies in Gaza.
Famine Declared in Gaza City by the Leading Global Food Security Authority
As reported by multiple media outlets including The
Independent and NBC News, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification
(IPC) announced on Friday that Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip,
is currently experiencing famine conditions. This declaration marks the first
time famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East by the IPC, an
authoritative consortium of more than a dozen UN agencies, aid groups, and governments
dedicated to monitoring food crises around the world.
The IPC’s report warns that without an immediate ceasefire
and unrestricted humanitarian aid, famine is likely to spread southwards to
neighboring areas including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of
September 2025. Currently affecting more than 500,000 people in Gaza,
approximately one-quarter of the enclave’s population, the famine situation is
described as “catastrophic,” with grave risks of death from starvation and
malnutrition-related illnesses.
Causes of Famine: Military Conflict, Aid Blockades, and Displacement
According to the IPC report and statements from aid
organisations including the United Nations, the famine has been driven by a
combination of relentless military fighting, an ongoing blockade restricting
food and aid into Gaza, widespread displacement, and the collapse of local food
production. Since the onset of conflict with Hamas on 7 October 2023, the
humanitarian situation has steadily worsened, reaching life-threatening levels
as the fighting continues with no resolution in sight.
Tom Fletcher, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in Geneva that Israel's “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid has been a major cause of the famine. He lamented that
“food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel,”
underscoring that this famine
“could have been prevented if we had been allowed”
to deliver aid effectively.
Human Impact: Starvation and Malnutrition Among Children and Civilians
The IPC’s findings highlight an alarming acceleration in
malnutrition, especially among children. At least 132,000 children under five
are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming year, including
more than 41,000 severe cases with a heightened risk of death. Healthcare
workers in Gaza have witnessed increasing numbers of visibly malnourished
patients, with some children resembling teenagers despite their young age due
to prolonged starvation (PBS NewsHour).
Families in Gaza City are enduring extreme hardship. Youse
Sbet, a resident, told journalists his two children, hospitalised after an
airstrike in June, have lost significant weight because the family cannot
afford to buy food at soaring market prices. Australian nurse Kirst Blacka, who
worked at Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City until June, reported that malnourished
Gaza residents affected by contaminated water and infections are struggling to
survive, and many may be unable to evacuate ahead of an anticipated military
offensive due to their weakened condition.
Israel’s Rejection of Famine Reports and Military Plans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the
IPC’s declaration of famine outright, labelling reports of starvation as “lies”
spread by Hamas. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the
Territories (COGAT) described the famine claim as “false and biased” and stated
that steps have been taken to expand humanitarian aid entry in recent weeks.
Israeli authorities continue to deny the existence of famine despite images of
emaciated children and reports of hunger-related deaths emerging from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel has vowed to intensify its military
campaign, focusing on capturing Gaza City and other Hamas strongholds. This
planned escalation raises concerns among aid agencies and experts that the
situation will deteriorate further. Chris Newton, an analyst for the
International Crisis Group, said Israel’s approach makes starvation “a core
part of its campaign to control the strip.” The military’s advance is expected
to cause mass displacement at a time when hunger is already rampant.
International Organisations Urge Immediate Ceasefire and Access to Humanitarian Aid
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a joint statement expressing grave concern over the famine conditions in Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire. All bodies emphasised that the famine
“must be stopped at all costs,”
warning that an
intensified military offensive in Gaza City could have devastating consequences
for civilians, many of whom would be unable to evacuate due to sickness or
malnutrition.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
Commissioner-General also confirmed that famine is now present in Gaza City,
highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian interventions to save lives in
the besieged area.
The Gravity of the Crisis and the Window for Intervention
The IPC report stresses that
“starvation is a present reality and is swiftly expanding,”
describing the situation as “completely
man-made” and thus “stoppable and reversible.” The 59-page document argues that
the time for debate and delay has passed, warning that every day of inaction
will lead to an unacceptable increase in famine-related deaths. More than half
a million residents are already facing catastrophic starvation, with
projections that over 640,000 people (nearly a third of Gaza’s population) will
confront famine-level conditions by the end of September 2025.
Journalist Hada Kourd in Gaza City described the harsh
realities on the ground, where aid trucks are frequently looted, leaving
impoverished residents without access to essential goods. Many are too poor or
weak to evacuate, and safe locations within Gaza are practically non-existent.
She reports that the sounds of gunfire and explosions grow louder by the day as
the military offensive advances.
A Call for Global Attention and Immediate Action
As Gaza City grapples with famine for the first time
officially recognised by global bodies, the situation lays bare the human cost
of prolonged conflict and blockade. Aid agencies uniformly call for an
immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access as non-negotiable
steps to prevent further suffering and death.
The international community now faces intense pressure to
respond decisively. Without urgent intervention, the famine, already gripping a
quarter of Gaza’s population, is set to deepen and spread, with catastrophic
effects on civilians caught in the crossfire of an escalating military
conflict.