Inquiry about the initiation of discussions concerning famine.
The Gaza Strip, already grappling with catastrophic food security conditions, is currently at level four on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale, indicating extreme food shortages, high acute malnutrition, and excessive mortality. However, a formal declaration of famine has yet to be made.
According to IPC data, two out of three core famine indicators have been breached. Food consumption has drastically worsened, with about 39% of the population going days without eating, and nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population enduring famine-like conditions. Acute malnutrition rates, especially among children under five, have quadrupled in months, reaching as high as 16.5% in Gaza City.
The third famine criterion — malnutrition-related deaths — is rising rapidly but has not been fully confirmed across the territory due to challenges in data collection. However, reports indicate malnutrition-related deaths are increasing sharply, with dozens reported monthly, predominantly among children.
UN agencies like the FAO, WFP, and UNICEF warn that the situation is the “worst-case scenario” unfolding in real time, with severe limitations on aid and the collapse of infrastructure and essential services exacerbating the crisis. Approximately more than 500,000 people (around 25% of Gaza’s population) are suffering famine-like conditions, and over 20,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition.
While official famine declaration awaits confirmation of widespread famine-related mortality, the evidence strongly indicates Gaza is on the very brink of full famine. The Famine Review Committee, consisting of independent experts, reviews the data and assessments of the IPC and can make a recommendation.
The official declaration of a famine can have both a psychological effect and a practical one, releasing more funds for support and prompting significant action from governments and organizations. Israel has allowed larger humanitarian aid deliveries by land into the Gaza Strip and permits airdrops following increasing international criticism of the dire supply situation.
It's important to note that a famine is a rare and extremely dramatic event, based on strictly defined criteria established by the IPC initiative. For a famine to be declared, at least 20% of households in a region must be affected by extreme food shortages, at least 30% of children must suffer from malnutrition, and at least two adults or four children per 10,000 population must die daily from hunger or the interaction of malnutrition and disease.
In the past 15 years, four famines have been confirmed by the IPC: in 2011 in Somalia, in 2017 and 2020 in South Sudan, and most recently in 2024 in Sudan. The FAO representative emphasizes that a formal declaration of famine is "extremely necessary" to hold those responsible accountable.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies the existence of a policy of starving the Gaza Strip and states that there is no hunger in the coastal region. However, the reality on the ground paints a different picture, with nearly 40% of residents sometimes going without meals for several days.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the urgent need for scale-up of aid to prevent further deterioration cannot be overstated. The humanitarian consensus is that famine conditions are tightening, and urgent action is required to avert a catastrophe.
[1] UNICEF (2021). Gaza: Children's Crisis Deepens. [Online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/165397
[2] WFP (2021). Gaza: Crisis Deepens for Vulnerable Families. [Online] Available at: https://www.wfp.org/news/gaza-crisis-deepens-vulnerable-families
[3] FAO (2021). Gaza: Worsening Food Security Crisis. [Online] Available at: https://www.fao.org/middleeast/news/detail-events/en/c/1475135/
[4] UN OCHA (2021). Humanitarian Bulletin: Gaza. [Online] Available at: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-bulletin-gaza-14-june-2021
[5] IPC (2021). Gaza: Food Security Analysis Update. [Online] Available at: https://www.ipcinfo.org/resources/gaza-food-security-analysis-update-june-2021/
The Famine Review Committee, comprising independent experts, could consider consulting the Commission on the draft budget for the period 2000-06, to address the health-and-wellness crisis in Gaza, including medical-conditions such as acute malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies, which are prevalent due to the catastrophic food security conditions. The situation in Gaza raises concerns not only for the physical well-being of its residents but also for their overall science-based understanding of health and wellness, as they grapple with the complexities of food security and nutritional needs.
