The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has officially declared a man-made famine in Gaza City and the surrounding Gaza governorate. More than 500,000 Palestinians are currently affected by the crisis, with numbers projected to rise significantly.
This marks the first time the IPC has recorded famine conditions outside of Africa. The declaration follows nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
International condemnation
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (Labour) described the situation as a "moral outrage" and "utterly horrifying". He attributed the crisis to Israel's refusal to allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called the famine declaration "irrefutable testimony" to the deteriorating conditions. The crisis has sparked widespread international concern about the humanitarian situation.
Israeli denial and response
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the IPC report as an "outright lie". The Israeli government has rejected the famine declaration as false and biased.
Israel claims to have delivered more than 10,000 aid trucks since May. However, UN officials state that 600 trucks daily are needed, while only around 300 are currently entering Gaza.
Escalating crisis projections
The IPC predicts famine conditions will spread to central and southern areas of Gaza by the end of September. According to multi-source reporting, the number of affected people could rise to between 614,000 and 641,000 by September's end.
BBC reports indicate that 132,000 children under five are at risk of malnutrition through June 2026. Personal testimonies reveal the severity of the crisis, with one child's weight reportedly dropping from 19kg to 10.5kg due to famine conditions.
Sources used: "Independent", "HuffPost UK", "The Standard", "BBC", "Daily Mail"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
