Behind Gaza’s Hunger Crisis: When Will the UN Officially Declare Famine?
As starvation deepens across the Gaza Strip, international organizations and UN agencies are raising urgent alarms about an impending famine, warning that time is running out to prevent mass death.
Humanitarian groups say the crisis is the direct result of systematic restrictions on aid and the ongoing Israeli siege.
These findings are drawn from a report published by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday, based on field testimonies and official statements from key global health and aid organizations.
What is a Famine?
Famine, as defined by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)—a system developed by 21 UN agencies and humanitarian organizations—is declared only when three specific conditions are met.
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These include: at least 20 percent of households experiencing extreme food shortages; more than 30 percent of children under five suffering from acute malnutrition; and a mortality rate of at least two deaths per 10,000 people per day.
These thresholds are meant to provide a scientifically grounded and internationally accepted benchmark for labeling a humanitarian disaster as famine.
Man-Made Mass Starvation
In Gaza, aid groups and UN agencies say these conditions are rapidly approaching—if not already present.
According to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “a large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving.” He described the crisis as “man-made… mass starvation,” pointing directly to the blockade and destruction of infrastructure as root causes.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) echoed this assessment, reporting on Friday that 25 percent of young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women screened in its clinics last week were malnourished.
MSF went further, blaming the worsening crisis on Israel’s “deliberate use of starvation as a weapon.”
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Children Dying of Hunger
The consequences are already deadly. The head of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City stated that 21 children had died of starvation across the territory in just 72 hours earlier this week.
The World Food Programme (WFP) added that almost one-third of Gaza’s population is “not eating for days.”
Humanitarian workers warn that the worst is yet to come, as access to food continues to shrink and prices soar. In some areas, a kilogram of flour now costs up to $100—if it is available at all.
Root of the Crisis
The root of the crisis, humanitarian organizations argue, is not natural scarcity but deliberate policy.
France’s foreign ministry said the “risk of famine” is the “result of the blockade imposed by Israel.”
More than 100 NGOs—including Amnesty International, Save the Children, and Oxfam—have urged Israel to open all land crossings and “restore the full flow of food” into Gaza.
Israeli officials reject these accusations. According to AFP, a government spokesperson, David Mencer, claimed there is “no famine caused by Israel,” claiming instead that the crisis stems from “a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas.”
Yet, Israeli military officials “never found proof” to support that claim, according to the New York Times and other sources.
Why a Famine Hasn’t Been Declared Yet
Despite the severity of the situation, a formal famine declaration remains pending. According to Amande Bazerolle, MSF’s emergency response coordinator in Gaza, the surveys required to confirm famine conditions cannot be carried out.
“Currently we are unable to conduct the surveys that would allow us to formally classify famine,” she said, citing security risks and lack of access to the most affected areas.
“It’s become a technical point to explain that we’re in acute food insecurity, IPC4, which affects almost the entire population. Yet we’re hurtling towards famine—that’s a certainty.”
Nabil Tabbal, incident manager for the WHO’s emergency program, also pointed to “challenges regarding data, regarding access to information,” due to ongoing displacement and restrictions imposed by the Israeli military.
Too Late?
Humanitarian leaders warn that waiting for a technical classification risks missing the window for effective intervention. “Any famine declaration… comes too late,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis at the World Food Programme.
He cited the example of Somalia in 2011, where half the victims of famine had already died by the time famine was officially declared.
A new IPC assessment for Gaza is expected soon. But for many, the evidence of mass starvation is already too overwhelming to ignore.
(PC, AJA)