UN Declares Full-Blown Famine in Gaza
8/22/2025 12:59:00 PM
Famine was officially declared Friday in part of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, by the world's leading authority on hunger as Israel vowed to raze the area if Hamas doesn't agree to its terms.
The declaration of famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, comes as deaths from starvation rise across the Palestinian enclave in a spiraling crisis under Israel's military assault and aid restrictions.
Israel's military is preparing to push ahead with a new operation to seize Gaza City that could displace hundreds of thousands of people and worsen the dire situation there. It has launched intense strikes on the city this week after announcing it had begun the first stage of its planned assault.
Famine declared
The IPC, an internationally-recognized system for classifying food insecurity and malnutrition, said in its report Friday morning that famine had been confirmed in the Gaza Governorate — and that it was projected to expand to the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governorates further south by the end of September if the humanitarian situation does not change.
Malnutrition now threatens the lives of 132,000 children under five, including 41,000 severe cases, doubling May’s numbers, the IPC said.
"Famine is a race against time," the IPC said. "An immediate ceasefire and end to the conflict is critical to enabling an unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response to save lives."
The United Nations-backed body had up until now only declared famine on four other occasions since it was first established in 2004, most recently in Sudan last year.
The report's findings were met with little surprise by global health authorities and humanitarian groups.
“Famine warnings have been clear for months,” said Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Programme.
“A ceasefire is an absolute and moral imperative now,” said World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The world has waited too long, watching tragic and unnecessary deaths mount from this man-made famine."
The declaration of famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, comes as deaths from starvation rise across the Palestinian enclave in a spiraling crisis under Israel's military assault and aid restrictions.
Israel's military is preparing to push ahead with a new operation to seize Gaza City that could displace hundreds of thousands of people and worsen the dire situation there. It has launched intense strikes on the city this week after announcing it had begun the first stage of its planned assault.
Famine declared
The IPC, an internationally-recognized system for classifying food insecurity and malnutrition, said in its report Friday morning that famine had been confirmed in the Gaza Governorate — and that it was projected to expand to the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governorates further south by the end of September if the humanitarian situation does not change.
Malnutrition now threatens the lives of 132,000 children under five, including 41,000 severe cases, doubling May’s numbers, the IPC said.
"Famine is a race against time," the IPC said. "An immediate ceasefire and end to the conflict is critical to enabling an unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response to save lives."
The United Nations-backed body had up until now only declared famine on four other occasions since it was first established in 2004, most recently in Sudan last year.
The report's findings were met with little surprise by global health authorities and humanitarian groups.
“Famine warnings have been clear for months,” said Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Programme.
“A ceasefire is an absolute and moral imperative now,” said World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The world has waited too long, watching tragic and unnecessary deaths mount from this man-made famine."