The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has issued an alert, saying, “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.”
The alert from the UN-backed review said that mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.
It asserted that latest data indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City.
The IPC, a global initiative by UN agencies, aid groups and governments to identify famine conditions, disclosed that access to food and other essential items and services has “plummeted to unprecedented levels.”
Between May and July 2025, the proportion of households experiencing extreme hunger has doubled. In Gaza City, rates of malnutrition grew from 4.4% in May to 16.5% in July, where two-fifths of pregnant and breastfeeding women were acutely malnourished in June.
It added that Gaza’s north faces similar challenges and is a “major source of concern,” however, it cannot be verified due to lack of data.
According to the report published by the UN-backed food security body, humanitarian aid remains “extremely restricted due to requests for humanitarian access being repeatedly denied and frequent security incidents.”
On the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the IPC’s Famine Review Committee said that its analysis of the food packages provided by the group backed by Israel and the US shows that “their distribution plan would lead to mass starvation.”
The report revealed that most of the GHF food items are “not ready-to-eat and require water and fuel to cook, which are largely unavailable.” It also criticised how accessing the GHF distribution points “requires long, high-risk journeys, with unequal access across governorates.”
The IPC stressed that only “immediate action to end hostilities” and “unimpeded, large-scale” humanitarian access into Gaza can stop further deaths and “catastrophic human suffering.”
The alert is not a formal designation of famine in Gaza and the IPC stated that it will carry out further analysis “without delay.”
The IPC – a global initiative by UN agencies, aid groups and governments – does not itself declare whether a famine is happening.
What it does is to provide the analysis that allows governments, organisations and agencies to issue statements or declarations about famine.
The IPC has a formal definition of famine, with three elements: at least 20% of households have an extreme lack of food and face starvation or destitution, more than 30% of children under five suffer acute malnutrition, and two adults or four children out of 10,000 people die from starvation or malnutrition on a daily basis.
Meanwhile,Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected accusations of starvation taking place in Gaza. Speaking on Sunday, he said, “What a bold-faced lie,” adding, “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza.”
As that IPC report was released, Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar was addressing reporters. Sa’ar said that it’s a “lie” that Israel is withholding aid, and the “reality” is that his country is instead facilitating the entrance of aid.
He stated that since yesterday, more than 200 aid trucks entered Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Minister noted that humanitarian corridors were opened, and points to the tactical pauses announced on the weekend from 10:00 to 20:00 for trucks to “safely” to distribute aid. He also stated that Israel initiated air drops on Saturday, adding, “There’s no route we’re not using.”
UN Agencies Issue Joint Response To Famine Declaration
UN agencies issued a joint response to the famine declaration by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The World Food Programme’s Executive Director, Cindy McCain said that awaiting the official IPC confirmation of famine to provide life-saving food aid that’s “desperately” needed is “unconscionable.”
“We need to flood Gaza with large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction, and keep it flowing each and every day to prevent mass starvation. The longer we wait to act, the higher the death toll will rise.”
Cindy McCain
Also, UNICEF, said that emaciated children and babies are dying from malnutrition in Gaza. The agency’s Chief, Catherine Russell, stressed that there needs to be “immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza” to scale up food, water and medicine deliveries.
She added that without that, mothers and fathers will continue to face “a parent’s worst nightmare, powerless to save a starving child from a condition we are able to prevent.”
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