Gaza is facing the severe risk of famine, with food consumption and nutrition indicators now at their worst levels since the Israeli war began, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert.

The alert, backed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF, warns that two out of three famine thresholds have already been breached in parts of the besieged enclave.

Starvation by Design: Food and Water Denied to a Besieged Population

UN data shows over half a million Palestinians—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are enduring famine‑like conditions, while the rest face emergency levels of hunger.

The humanitarian agencies point to Israel’s ongoing blockade as the root cause of the crisis, stressing that people are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is deliberately blocked.

“The unbearable suffering of the people of Gaza is already clear for the world to see. Waiting for official confirmation of famine to provide life-saving food aid they desperately need is unconscionable,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.

“We need to flood Gaza with large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction, and keep it flowing each and every day to prevent mass starvation.”

Malnutrition Among Children Surges to Unprecedented Levels

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels for its children, with the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert reporting dire conditions as of July 30, 2025. Over 320,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with thousands suffering from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form, leading to record-high cases in June and July.

In Gaza City, malnutrition among children under five has quadrupled in just two months, reaching an alarming 16.5 percent. With fewer than 15 percent of essential nutrition services operational due to ongoing conflict and restrictions, thousands of children are dying from preventable conditions, underscoring the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian aid to avert further tragedy.

“Emaciated children and babies are dying from malnutrition in Gaza,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Without immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, mothers and fathers will remain powerless to save their starving children.”

Collapse of Food Systems and Essential Services

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by the collapse of its local food production and distribution systems, as reported on July 30, 2025. Bakeries, markets, and farms have been destroyed or rendered inoperable due to relentless conflict, while water, sewage, and electricity infrastructure have been systematically targeted, severely undermining civilian survival. Compounding the crisis, acute fuel shortages have paralyzed relief operations, leaving aid agencies struggling to deliver life-saving assistance and further deepening the plight of Gaza’s population.

The UN agencies stress that reviving Gaza’s commercial supply chains is essential. More than 62,000 tons of food aid are required monthly just to meet basic humanitarian needs.

Urgent International Calls: Ceasefire and Full Humanitarian Access

UN agencies issued an urgent plea to address Gaza’s escalating humanitarian crisis, calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to stop the violence, enable large-scale humanitarian operations, and secure the safe release of hostages. They demanded sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access through all available crossings to deliver critical supplies, including food, medicine, water, and fuel, to Gaza’s starving population. The agencies also urged the revival of Gaza’s local economy by restoring agriculture, bakeries, and markets to ensure food security, alongside the protection of civilians and aid workers to allow humanitarian operations to function without fear of attacks.

Gaza’s famine crisis is a man‑made catastrophe, the direct result of Israeli military siege, destruction of food systems, and obstruction of aid. The world is now at a turning point: either act decisively to end the blockade and allow full humanitarian and commercial flows, or witness a preventable mass death in one of the most densely populated places on earth. (ILKHA)