Famine officially declared in Gaza: IPC report, Israel’s rebuttal

The UN’s food security body has declared a famine in Gaza for the first time, warning of mass starvation across the area.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) — the globally recognised index for assessing hunger — has declared the areas around and including Gaza City at the highest level of food insecurity, while other parts of Gaza are suffering from significant but less severe food crisis.

“Over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death,” the IPC report found.

Israel has restricted the entry of most food and other essential aid into the enclave since the war began nearly two years ago.

Just under a third of Gaza's population (32%) are in Famine (Phase 5), the highest level of the IPC classification. For Famine classification, an area needs to have extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and mortality. Starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels must be evident.

A further 1.07 million people (54%) are in Emergency (Phase 4), and 396,000 (20%) are in Crisis (Phase 3).

The Food Review Committee (FRC) noted this is the fifth review of Gaza’s food security, with conditions worsening despite repeated warnings. It confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, projected imminent famine in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, and warned that conditions in North Gaza may be worse.