Statement on the IPC report confirming famine in Gaza
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee has officially confirmed that famine is occurring in Gaza Governorate and is projected to spread rapidly – the first time a famine has been declared in the Middle East.
The IPC’s findings are unambiguous: thresholds for extreme hunger and starvation-related deaths have been breached. By mid-August, at least 240 deaths from malnutrition were recorded, including over 100 children. The Committee warns that any further delay in aid will cause “a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality.”
This famine is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made crisis caused by severe and prolonged restrictions on humanitarian access. The crisis is compounded by the near-total destruction of local food sources. As a result, the IPC confirms over 640,000 people are in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) and 1.4 million are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4).
We join the urgent international call for:
- An immediate and lasting ceasefire.
- The full and unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid through all land crossings.
- Adherence to international humanitarian law.
The obstruction of essential aid is a grave violation of the laws of war. Neutrality cannot mean silence in the face of such suffering. We must demand access, protect civilians, and hold accountable any party that uses hunger as a weapon. History is watching.
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