The UN has declared the first-ever famine in the Middle East, warning that half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic hunger.
Geneva
The United Nations on Friday declared a famine in Gaza, marking the first such declaration in the Middle East, with experts warning that 500,000 people are facing “catastrophic” hunger. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher described the famine as entirely preventable, blaming the inability to deliver food to the Palestinian territory on “systematic obstruction by Israel.”
Israel’s foreign ministry immediately rejected the claim, calling the report “based on Hamas lies” and asserting that “there is no famine in Gaza.” Despite this, UN agencies have repeatedly raised alarms about the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.
According to the Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine conditions (IPC Phase 5) are confirmed in Gaza City, affecting roughly 20% of the territory. By the end of September, famine is expected to spread to Deir el-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates, potentially impacting two-thirds of Gaza’s population. The total number of people facing extreme hunger could rise to nearly 641,000, about a third of residents.
The IPC cited the sharp escalation in conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on food, medicine, and fuel as key drivers. Approximately 98% of cropland is damaged or inaccessible, livestock decimated, and fishing banned. The health system is in crisis, while access to clean water and hygiene has dramatically declined.
Famine, according to the IPC, is defined by extreme food scarcity in at least 20% of households, acute malnutrition in 30% of children under five, and mortality rates exceeding two per 10,000 per day due to starvation or related disease.
