For the first time since the escalation of the Gaza war, a UN-backed food security assessment has confirmed famine in Gaza City, underscoring the severity of the humanitarian catastrophe. The report, released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and endorsed by UN agencies, stated that the population is experiencing starvation-level deprivation, with families surviving on animal feed and contaminated water. At least 1.1 million people are in conditions classified as famine or near-famine, with child malnutrition and mortality rates sharply increasing.

Famine Declaration And Humanitarian Collapse

According to the IPC report, famine conditions have spread rapidly across northern Gaza, where aid delivery has been severely restricted. Hospitals, already overwhelmed and short of supplies, reported that children are dying daily from hunger and waterborne diseases. Aid groups warned that the declaration marks a turning point in the crisis, requiring urgent international intervention to prevent mass death.

The report noted that the combination of siege conditions, collapsed markets, and blocked humanitarian corridors has created a “complete breakdown” of food systems. Families in Gaza City have resorted to grinding animal feed and scavenging for leaves, with cases of starvation increasingly documented by health authorities and aid workers.

International Reactions And Calls For Action

The UN and humanitarian organizations said the famine confirmation should compel immediate action from all parties. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation “intolerable,” urging safe humanitarian access and an end to restrictions on aid convoys. Regional governments also expressed alarm, with Egypt and Jordan warning that continued siege conditions could lead to irreversible mass casualties.

Meanwhile, donor nations are under pressure to increase funding and secure humanitarian corridors into Gaza. Aid agencies stressed that unless food and medical supplies are delivered at scale, the number of deaths will rise sharply in the coming weeks.