For the first time in the recent history of the Middle East, the word famine It was officially pronounced in relation to Gaza. It is no longer a prediction, nor an extreme hypothesis: according to the new analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), more than half a million people are already living in conditions of acute hunger, while hundreds of thousands are pushed towards an abyss that leaves no room for hope.
The report, made public by FAO, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, cannot be subject to interpretation, cannot be read and shaped according to one's own beliefs: the famine in Gaza It's a reality that claims victims every day and risks rapidly expanding, affecting new areas of the Strip. Humanitarian organizations are calling for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access to aid, because if these conditions continue to fail, it will be impossible to contain the emergency: the process is becoming irreversible!
Widespread hunger, preventable deaths
The tragedy is measured in numbers, but above all in the lives shattered. By the end of September, over 640.000 people will face catastrophic levels of food insecurity, while another 1,14 MILLION will be in a state of emergency. Within families, adults are skipping meals to feed their children, and more than a third of the population reports going entire days without food.
Boys and girls are the first to pay the highest price: in July alone, 12.000 children were recorded as severely malnourished, the highest monthly figure ever documented. Nearly a quarter of them suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the most lethal form, with irreversible consequences on development and a very high risk of death.
A system in collapse
The causes of the famine in Gaza are not natural but deeply linked to the conflict: two years of hostilities have destroyed 98% of agricultural land, made fishing areas inaccessible, and disrupted markets and distribution systems. Drinking water has become a luxury, and infections are rampant in a context where hospitals, already deprived of fuel and medical supplies, are unable to cope with the impact of emergencies.
The healthcare system is collapsing: it lacks primary care, antibiotics, anesthetics, and even the basic conditions for safe births. One in five mothers gives birth to a premature or low-birth-weight baby, while the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women at risk of malnutrition has risen from 17.000 to 55.000 in just a few months.
Appeal to the world
United Nations agencies are urgently repeating: "The famine must be stopped at all costs." Sporadic and insufficient truck deliveries are not enough; a massive response is needed, consisting of stable humanitarian corridors, the restoration of trade networks, and the rehabilitation of local health and agricultural systems.
Every day of delay equals more lives lost. And while the international community debates political balances and military strategies, Gaza's civilian population remains trapped in a present of hunger, disease, and desperation.
Famine in Gaza: the first recognized in the Middle East
This is the first time the IPC has officially certified a famine in the Middle East. A historic and tragic event that should shock consciences beyond the Gaza Strip.
La famine in Gaza It is not a local emergency, but a global warning: it reminds us how war, with its material destruction and humanitarian blockades, can transform daily life into a desert of denied basic needs.
If immediate measures are not taken, the coming months risk giving the world images of a disaster that was foretold, but could have been prevented.
Declarations
"The people of Gaza have exhausted every means of survival. Hunger and malnutrition are taking lives every day, and the destruction of arable land, livestock, greenhouses, fisheries, and food production systems has made the situation even more desperate," said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu. "Our priority must now be safe and sustained access to large-scale food assistance. Access to food is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right."
"The warnings of famine have been clear for months," said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. "What is urgently needed now is a surge in aid, safer conditions, and proven distribution systems to reach those most in need—wherever they are. Full humanitarian access and an immediate ceasefire are crucial to saving lives."
“Famine is now a stark reality for children in Gaza Governorate and an imminent threat in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “As we have repeatedly warned, the signs were unmistakable: skeletal children, too weak to cry or eat; newborns dying of hunger and preventable diseases; parents arriving at clinics with nothing left to feed their children. There is no time to waste. Without an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access, famine will spread and more children will die. Children on the brink of starvation need the special nutritional treatment that UNICEF provides.”
“A ceasefire is now an absolute and moral imperative,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The world has waited too long, watching tragic and needless deaths mount from this man-made famine. Widespread malnutrition means that even common, normally mild illnesses like diarrhea are becoming fatal, especially for children. The health system, staffed by hungry and exhausted workers, cannot cope. Gaza must be urgently supplied with food and medicine to save lives and begin to reverse malnutrition. Hospitals must be protected so they can continue to treat patients. Aid blockades must end, and peace must be restored so healing can begin.”
