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A United Nations-backed global hunger monitor has officially declared that famine is now occurring in Gaza City and surrounding areas, marking a devastating escalation in the humanitarian crisis.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s key authority for measuring hunger, confirmed that Gaza has reached Phase 5 – the highest and most severe level of food insecurity, characterised by starvation, destitution, and death.
Gaza Famine: Key Findings of the IPC Report
- More than 500,000 people across Gaza face “catastrophic” conditions.
- In Gaza Governorate, 30% of the population is in Phase 5 famine, while 50% face “emergency” food insecurity (Phase 4).
- North Gaza is believed to face conditions “as severe or worse,” but data collection is limited.
- Famine is projected to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by late September 2025, with 25% and 20% of their populations already in Phase 5 catastrophe.
- By June 2026, 132,000 children under five, 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and 25,000 infants will require urgent nutrition support.
Causes of Gaza Famine: “Entirely Man-Made”
The IPC attributes the famine to four man-made factors:
- Israeli military offensives causing destruction and mass displacement.
- Restricted humanitarian access and severe import restrictions.
- Collapse of Gaza’s food systems, including destruction of 98% of cropland and a fishing ban.
- Repeated displacement, with 1.9 million Palestinians forced to flee multiple times.
Despite international pressure, Israel has maintained restrictions on aid, allowing only a fraction of the 600 daily aid trucks that the UN says are required to prevent mass starvation.
UN and International Reaction
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the famine a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself.” He urged Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law to allow food and medical supplies into Gaza.
Phillipe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, described the situation as “starvation by design.”
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk also said the famine is the “direct result of unlawful Israeli restrictions on aid.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian groups, including the International Rescue Committee, have warned that without immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid, famine-related deaths will rise sharply.
Israel Rejects Report
Israel has dismissed the IPC findings, calling them “Hamas lies.” Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that over 100,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the war began and that food prices have “plummeted” in markets.
However, UN agencies, humanitarian workers, and witnesses on the ground strongly dispute these claims, pointing to widespread hunger, soaring child malnutrition, and reported deaths from starvation.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Since October 2023, at least 62,122 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. More than 90% of homes are damaged or destroyed, and the healthcare, water, and sanitation systems have collapsed.
The famine declaration comes as Israel prepares a new military offensive aimed at seizing Gaza City, which aid groups warn will cause further displacement and suffering for nearly one million Palestinians.
