United Nations officially declares famine in Gaza

Israeli forces kill 71 Palestinians in a day

Monitoring Desk

GAZA: The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first time it has done so in the Middle East, with experts warning that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” hunger.
Top UN officials put the blame squarely on Israel, accusing it of “systematic obstruction” of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory — sparking a sharp response.
The assessment of famine was made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), a coalition of monitors tasked by the UN to warn of impending crises.
Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine, and it will likely spread, the global hunger monitor determined on Friday.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said 514,000 people – close to a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza – are experiencing famine, with the number due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
Some 280,000 of those people are in a northern region covering Gaza City – known as Gaza governorate – which the IPC said was in famine following nearly two years of war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas.
It was the first time the IPC has recorded famine outside of Africa, and the global group predicted that famine conditions would spread to the central and southern areas of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month.
It added that the situation further north could be even worse than in Gaza City, but that limited data prevented any precise classification.
“It is a famine that we could have prevented had we been allowed,” said U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher. “Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel.”

Meanwhile, at least 71 Palestinians, including 24 aid seekers, have been killed and 251 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the latest 24-hour reporting period, Al Jazeera quoted the enclave’s Health Ministry.
In the same period, at least two people have starved to death in the territory, bringing the total count of hunger-related deaths to 273, including 112 children, the ministry said.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed 62,263 Palestinians and injured 157,365 since October 7, 2023, the ministry added.
The total number of aid seekers killed since May 27, when Israel introduced a new aid distribution mechanism operated by the US-based GHF, has reached 2,060 with more than 15,197 injured, the statement said.