A famine has officially been declared in Gaza for the first time in history since Israel launched its full-scale war on Palestinians 22 months ago.
With United Nations food distribution centres shut down, bakeries bombed and humanitarian access throttled by Israel, more than 271 people – 121 of them children – have died from hunger.
Metro previously spoke with Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the UN agency, which supports Palestinian refugees, who warned that Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war in the Palestinian territory.
Almost three months later, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has now declared famine in Gaza.
More than half a million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death.
Another 1.07 million people are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 people are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), a report by the IPC said.
Conditions are only expected to further worsen by the end of September with famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
Nearly a third of Gaza’s population (641,000 people) are expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while those in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) will likely rise to 1.14 million.
And acute malnutrition is projected to continue worsening rapidly.
The IPC is a globally recognised system for classifying the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition, which has been used to declare four famines since it was established in 2004, most recently in Sudan last year.
In order to declare a famine, three strict criteria must be met: at least 20% of households face an extreme lack of food, at least 30% of children suffer acute malnutrition, and two people for every 10,000 die each day due to ‘outright starvation’.
Responding to the IPC report, Lazzarini said that months of warnings have ‘fallen on deaf ears’.
He added: This is starvation by design and manmade by the government of Israel.
‘It is the direct result of banning food & other basic supplies for months including from UNRWA.
‘The spread of famine can still be controlled by a ceasefire and allowing humanitarian organisations to do their work and reach starving people with aid.’
A number of other humanitarian organisations backed the IPC report to the horror of the Israeli military, which denied the findings in it.
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UNICEF, WFP, WHO, and FAO released a joint statement reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to allow ‘unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response that can save lives.’
The agencies are also ‘gravely concerned’ about the threat of an intensified military offensive in Gaza City and any escalation by Israel.
The statement said: ‘It would have further devastating consequences for civilians, where famine conditions already exist.
‘Many people – especially sick and malnourished children, older people and people with disabilities – may be unable to evacuate.’
Mothers in Gaza have resorted to using legume water and herbs as an alternative to infant milk amid Famine, ActionAid has warned.
Dr Ra’ed Al-Baba, who works at Al Awda Hospital, said such methods have ‘catastrophic’ consequences.
He said: ‘There are mothers who resort to using legume water, herbs, and other alternatives to infant milk because of the severe shortage.
‘These methods carry catastrophic risks, causing gastroenteritis, food poisoning, delayed growth, severe anaemia, and even the inability to move.
‘We have seen cases of extreme dehydration from polluted water mixed with these substitutes. This is not survival, this is slow death.’
After a global outcry at Israel for severely restricting aid from March, its military began allowing food into Gaza in late July.
But volumes are too small and distribution too chaotic to stop more people becoming malnourished, while those who are already starving or vulnerable are not getting life-saving supplements, three hunger experts and aid workers from six agencies told Reuters.
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