ROME: The United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, marking the first such occurrence in the Middle East.
UN experts confirmed that 500,000 people are currently facing catastrophic hunger conditions.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher stated that the famine was entirely preventable, blaming systematic obstruction by Israel for preventing food from reaching the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s foreign ministry immediately rejected the declaration, asserting that “there is no famine in Gaza”.
The ministry criticised the IPC report as being “based on Hamas lies laundered through organisations with vested interests”.
UN agencies have been warning for months about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The IPC update confirmed famine conditions in Gaza Governorate as of 15 August 2025, covering approximately 20% of the Gaza Strip.
Famine is projected to expand to Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates by the end of September, affecting around two-thirds of the territory.
The report stated that “after 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death”.
This number is expected to increase to nearly 641,000 people by the end of September, representing nearly one-third of Gaza’s population.
The IPC described this as the most severe deterioration since it began analysing hunger in the region.
The crisis has been driven by escalated conflict, massive displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access.
Israel completely banned aid supplies in early March before allowing limited quantities at the end of May.
Fletcher said the famine should “haunt us all” and could have been prevented with proper access.
The local food system has collapsed with 98% of cropland damaged or inaccessible and livestock decimated.
Health systems have severely deteriorated while access to safe drinking water has been drastically reduced.
The IPC defines famine through three criteria including extreme food lack, acute child malnutrition, and starvation deaths.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,219 people according to AFP figures based on official data.
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 62,192 Palestinians according to Gaza’s health ministry. – AFP
