The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a dire warning of an impending famine in the Gaza Strip, urging immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to avert a catastrophic collapse of food security.

After 19 months of conflict and severe restrictions on aid, Gaza’s agricultural systems are on the brink of total failure, with 100% of its 2.1 million residents facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, 12% of Gaza’s population—approximately 244,000 people—are in IPC Phase 5, the most severe category of acute food insecurity, known as “Catastrophe.” Another 44%, or 925,000 people, are in Phase 4, classified as “Emergency.” The entire population is projected to remain in Crisis or worse conditions through September, with no improvement in sight.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “The international community must act now. Every delay deepens hunger and accelerates starvation, bringing us closer to famine.” The agency reported that Gaza’s livestock sector has been decimated, with only 36% of sheep, 39% of goats, and 3.8% of cattle remaining compared to pre-conflict levels. Poultry production has collapsed to just 1.4% of its former capacity, severely limiting access to milk, eggs, and meat—critical sources of nutrition for households.

The destruction extends to Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure. A joint FAO-UNOSAT assessment conducted between October and December 2024 revealed that 75% of cropland and olive orchards have been damaged or destroyed, and over two-thirds of agricultural wells—1,531 in total—are non-functional, crippling irrigation and crop production. A new survey suggests even greater losses, leaving Gaza with little capacity to restore food production without massive international support.

Other UN agencies echoed the FAO’s alarm. World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain condemned the blockade of aid convoys, stating, “Entire families are starving while aid is held up at borders without permission to enter.” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell highlighted the toll on children, noting, “Hunger and malnutrition have become a daily reality for Gaza’s children. Immediate action is needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Despite limited FAO interventions, such as distributing 2,100 tons of animal feed and veterinary kits to 4,800 herders, current supplies fall far short of meeting Gaza’s needs. The agency warned that without urgent access to humanitarian and commercial supplies, the collapse of remaining agricultural activity could trigger widespread disease and further endanger public health in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.

As Gaza teeters on the edge of a preventable famine, humanitarian agencies are calling for rapid, coordinated international action to restore aid flows and rebuild the region’s shattered food systems before it’s too late. (ILKHA)