The UN-backed food security agency has warned that a "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza, the strongest alarm yet, as hunger spreads and Israel faces growing international pressure to allow more food into the territory.
"Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and other essential goods and services has fallen to unprecedented levels," the Food Security Agency said in an alert, adding that "growing evidence shows that widespread hunger, malnutrition and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths."
The agency said the alert is intended to “draw urgent attention to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation,” but does not constitute a formal famine classification. More than 20,000 children were admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, the IPC said, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished.
"Latest data indicate that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City," the alert said, calling for "immediate action" to end hostilities and allow for "unhindered, large-scale and life-saving humanitarian responses."
Israel has come under increasing pressure from the international community to break the blockade, allow aid into Gaza and end the war. In some of his harshest comments on the crisis, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a “real famine” in Gaza, contradicting previous statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists there is no famine.
“This is a real hunger thing,” Trump told reporters at Turnberry, Scotland. “I see it and you can’t fake it. So we’re going to be even more involved.”
Trump added that the United States would set up "food hubs" in Gaza to address the crisis. Over the weekend, Israel announced a daily "tactical pause in military activity" in three areas of Gaza to allow more aid to reach the people. The military said the move would "disprove the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip." (A2 Televizion)
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