Gaza on the brink of FAMINE: Urgent action needed as humanitarian crisis deepens

By kevinhughes // 2025-08-03

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The IPC warns that famine conditions have emerged in Gaza, with starvation and acute malnutrition at catastrophic levels. Over 150 Palestinians, including children, have died from starvation since October 2023, and 40,000 infants face imminent risk of death.
Israel's blockade has severely restricted food and humanitarian aid since March, leaving thousands of aid trucks stranded. UN agencies emphasize starvation is solely due to blocked access, not scarcity.
Over 100 humanitarian organizations demand an end to the siege, reporting staff malnourishment and collapse. Journalists in Gaza also face starvation, prompting media outlets to issue urgent appeals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses famine claims as lies, despite U.S. skepticism. Israel's announced aid pauses and airdrops are criticized as inadequate by aid groups like Doctors Without Borders.
The IPC projects Gaza's entire 2.1 million population will face acute food insecurity by September, with over 500,000 in extreme starvation. Over 40 percent of pregnant/breastfeeding women and 20 percent of young children suffer acute malnutrition, signaling accelerating disaster.

In a dire warning issued Tuesday, July 29, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared that the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza – as the besieged enclave faces unprecedented levels of starvation, malnutrition and disease. The IPC – a global initiative backed by governments, the United Nations and NGOs – called for immediate action to end hostilities and allow unimpeded access to life-saving humanitarian aid. Its latest report revealed alarming data: "Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City." This marks a critical turning point in the crisis, with nearly 150 Palestinians – including children – having already succumbed to starvation since Israel's offensive began in October 2023. The situation is particularly dire for infants, with local health officials warning that 40,000 are at imminent risk of death. The IPC reported a rapid rise in malnutrition in July, with over 20,000 children admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, including more than 3,000 severely malnourished cases. Hospitals have recorded at least 16 hunger-related deaths of children under five since July 17. The crisis is exacerbated by Israel's blockade, which has prevented food and aid from reaching Gaza since March 2. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has 6,000 aid trucks waiting in Egypt and Jordan, unable to enter due to Israeli restrictions. Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, emphasized that "people are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked." Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), echoed this sentiment. "Waiting for official confirmation of famine to provide life-saving food aid is unconscionable," she remarked. McCain urged for "large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction," to prevent mass starvation. (Related: UN World Food Program director warns there is "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.)

International outcry against Israel's aid blockade

The international community has intensified pressure on Israel to lift the siege. Over 100 human rights and humanitarian organizations have called for an end to the blockade, citing widespread starvation affecting their staff. UNRWA Communications Director Juliette Touma reported that several staff members have fainted on duty due to malnutrition. Journalists are also affected, with the AFP journalists' union warning that its members in Gaza face death from starvation due to the blockade. The BBC, Reuters and Associated Press have issued similar statements highlighting the plight of their journalists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied the existence of a hunger crisis in Gaza, calling such claims "a bold-faced lie." However, U.S. President Donald Trump has contradicted Netanyahu, expressing doubt about claims that there is no starvation in Gaza. The Israeli military announced it would implement daily "tactical" pauses and open corridors for aid delivery, but aid organizations have criticized these measures as insufficient. Doctors Without Borders described the airdrops as "notoriously ineffective and dangerous." The IPC's warning comes after their May analysis projected that by September, Gaza's entire 2.1 million population would face acute food insecurity, with over 500,000 people reaching a state of extreme starvation. The situation has worsened since then, with the IPC reporting a significant deterioration in food security due to increased hostilities, frequent displacements and severely restricted humanitarian access. Aid organizations are calling for urgent action to secure more access to humanitarian aid. CARE's Palestine Country Director Jolien Veldwijk noted that more than 100 deaths from malnutrition have been recorded in Gaza, with the situation expected to deteriorate further. "Over 40 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely malnourished, she stated. "Nearly one in five children under the age of five in Gaza City is acutely malnourished." Follow Starvation.news for more news about the famine unfolding in Gaza. Watch this video showing starving Gazans swarming a charity kitchen as famine spreads in the Strip. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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International outcry against Israel's aid blockade

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