For the first time in the Middle East, a UN-backed coalition monitoring global hunger has officially declared a famine in Gaza, highlighting catastrophic food shortages affecting over half a million people. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) announced on August 21, 2025, that famine conditions have been confirmed in Gaza City, with projections indicating rapid expansion to the southern cities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah if immediate humanitarian aid and a ceasefire are not secured.
The famine declaration reflects 22 months of relentless conflict that have devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, restricted access to essentials, and driven widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths. The IPC, a consortium of UN agencies, aid organizations, and governments, warns that by the end of September 2025, more than 640,000 people could experience famine-level conditions (IPC Phase 5), while 1.14 million more face severe food insecurity (IPC Phase 4).
Malnutrition is reaching catastrophic levels, particularly among children, with estimates suggesting that at least 132,000 children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition over the coming year—double the figures projected just months ago. Severe cases of children at heightened risk of death are rising sharply, underscoring the urgent need for intervention.
UN officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, condemned the “man-made disaster,” calling it a failure of humanity and a moral indictment. Fletcher declared the famine preventable, attributing it to Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid, with food supplies piling up at border crossings but not reaching those in desperate need.
The Israeli government rejected the famine report, dismissing it as “false and biased,” and accused the IPC of relying on misinformation. Israeli officials point to significant aid deliveries and declining food prices in Gaza markets, although aid groups counter that these efforts remain insufficient and too inconsistent to meet the needs of the population.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with most agricultural land in Gaza damaged and millions displaced. The IPC emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life.
The famine declaration marks a critical turning point in global awareness of Gaza’s crisis and renews calls for urgent international action to alleviate suffering and restore basic survival systems in one of the world’s most densely populated and embattled regions.