The United Nations Officially Declares Famine in Gaza for the First Time Since the Outbreak of War
The international body concerned with monitoring global hunger, supported by the United Nations and known as the “Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)”, announced today, Friday, August 22, before the Security Council, the official outbreak of famine in the Gaza Strip, an unprecedented step since the outbreak of war about 22 months ago.
For his part, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, quickly attacked the decision, accusing the UN body of “changing the criteria to serve the narrative of Hamas,” as he put it.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, this historic announcement may open the door to increasing international pressure on Israel, amid mutual accusations and unprecedented humanitarian deterioration.
* Three Criteria Confirmed: Famine Has Become a Reality
The declaration of famine is based on three strict criteria set by the IPC system, all of which have been confirmed to be met in the Gaza Strip:
1 _ More than 20% of households are facing severe food shortages.
2 _ At least 30% of children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
3 _ At least two people die daily for every 10,000 people due to hunger.
It is noted that this system has only been used to declare famine four times since its establishment in 2004, the last of which was in Sudan in 2024.
* Famine Strikes Gaza Governorate… and Threat of Extending Southward
The declaration of famine included the Gaza Governorate, which includes the city of Gaza, three neighboring towns, and several refugee camps, home to about half a million people.
A media briefing reviewed by the British Telegraph indicates that “more than 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip are currently living in catastrophic conditions characterized by severe hunger, deprivation, and death.”
The briefing warned of the possibility of famine extending to the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates by the end of September, amid a rising humanitarian crisis.
* More than Half of Gaza’s Population in ‘Food Emergency’ Phase
According to United Nations data:
• 1.07 million people in Gaza – more than half of the population – are suffering from “emergency” levels of food insecurity.
• 1.35 million people need emergency shelter, amid the deterioration of the tents spread due to the high displacement and harsh weather conditions.
* Deaths from Hunger and Risks of Accessing Aid
In Geneva, Thumein Al-Khaitan, spokesperson for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated:
“This tragic situation is a direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of obstructing humanitarian aid access.”
He added that the quantities of aid that have entered the sector in recent weeks “are far less than what is needed to prevent the spread of famine,” noting that casualties continue to occur, including children, as a result of hunger.
Al-Khaitan confirmed that the situation in the Al-Mawasi area – where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been pushed after repeated displacement orders from the Israeli army – is catastrophic, with no food, no water, no electricity, and no adequate shelter.
* ‘Accessing Food May Be Fatal’
Al-Khaitan also pointed out that 1,857 Palestinians have been killed since May 27 while trying to obtain food, most of them shot by the Israeli army near distribution sites of aid from the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” or on the routes of truck passage.
* A Crisis that Embarrasses Israel Before the International Community
The declaration of famine reveals the depth of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, amid increasing accusations against Israel of committing serious violations of international law through its systematic siege of the sector and preventing the entry of aid, while Tel Aviv faces increasing international pressure after images of starving children circulated amid an official denial of the existence of famine, as previously stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Gaza Strip is officially experiencing a famine recognized internationally for the first time in its history, amid unprecedented suffering of the population, and warnings of a more severe disaster in the coming weeks.
The international community is facing a real test to prove its ability to act to stop one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the current century.
