Gaza Strip famine

Gaza Strip famine
CountryState of Palestine
LocationGaza Strip
Total deaths41+[a][b][c]
Causes
  • Israeli blockade and limitation of aid
  • Destruction of food and water infrastructure
  • Complications in deliveries due to war and looting
ReliefHumanitarian aid
Consequences
  • 1.84 million people in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above
  • 664,000, in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency)
  • 133,000 people in IPC Phase 5 (catastrophic food insecurity)[4]

The population of the Gaza Strip is at high risk of famine as a result of Israeli airstrikes during the Israel–Hamas war and an Israeli blockade, including of basic essentials and humanitarian aid.[5][6][7] Airstrikes have destroyed food infrastructure, such as bakeries, mills, and food stores, and there is a widespread scarcity of essential supplies due to the blockade of aid.[d] According to a group of UN experts, as of July 2024 Israel's "targeted starvation campaign" had spread throughout the entire Gaza Strip, causing the death of children.[9][10][11][12] Israel's mission to the UN criticized the statement, calling it "misinformation".[13] The same month, detected cases of childhood malnutrition in northern Gaza increased by 300 percent compared to May 2024.[14]

On 30 June 2024, the IPC Global Famine Review Committee said evidence indicates famine is not currently occurring in Gaza, but that high risk of famine would persist as long as the war. Conditions in Gaza probably improved during the spring due to increased aid and sanitation efforts, but civilians still face extreme suffering and need sustainable aid. The report's findings "should not allow room for complacency about the risk of Famine in the coming weeks and months," and "the prolonged nature of the crisis means that this risk remains at least as high as at any time during the past few months."[15] In September 2024, Refugees International warned that food conditions had "deteriorated badly" since May, stating, "There remains a grave risk of famine conditions spiraling once again."[16] The World Food Programme warned in October 2024 that one million people were at risk of starvation.[17]

Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, stated that Israel's restrictions on the entry of aid may constitute starvation as a weapon of war, which would be a war crime.[18][19] An Independent International Commission of Inquiry also found Israel was using starvation as a method of war.[20] In April and May, USAID and the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration determined that Israel was blocking food aid from entering Gaza. However, these findings were rejected by Secretary of State Blinken and the Biden Administration.[21] The Israeli government has denied it is using starvation as a weapon of war and said that arguments that its actions regarding the famine violate the Genocide Convention are "wholly unfounded".[22] COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for allowing aid into Gaza, has stated Israel was not putting limits into the amount of aid entering Gaza.[23] COGAT's claim has been challenged by multiple entities, including the European Union, United Nations, Oxfam, and United Kingdom.[24] Israel has accused Gaza's government of "aid theft";[25] however, US officials said they do not have evidence to support Israel's claims.[26][27] Israel has challenged the IPC's past methodology, citing academics in the Israeli public health sector.[28]

Blockade of the
Gaza Strip
Crossings
2004 - 2009
2010
2011 - present
  1. ^ Najjar, Farah (8 July 2024). "Another child dies of starvation in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Newborns die of hunger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Stamatopoulou-Robbins, Sophia. "The Human Toll: Indirect Deaths from War in Gaza and the West Bank, October 7, 2023 Forward" (PDF). Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Brown University. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. ^ "IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot (September 2024 - April 2025)" (PDF). Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  5. ^ Knutson, Jacob (11 April 2024). "U.S. aid official says famine has begun in northern Gaza". Axios. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  6. ^ "The Guardian view on famine in Gaza: a human-made catastrophe". The Guardian. 19 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Imminent famine in northern Gaza is 'entirely man-made disaster': Guterres". UN News. 18 March 2024. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Israel is starving Gaza" (Press release). B'Tselem. 8 January 2024. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "Humanitarian Situation Update #200 Gaza Strip". OCHA. United Nations. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference FRC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Konyndyk, Jeremy; Marks, Jesse. "Untangling the Reality of Famine in Gaza". Refugees International. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  17. ^ Khadder, Kareem; Salman, Abeer; Kourdi, Eyad; Lockwood, Pauline. "UN says no food has entered northern Gaza since start of October, putting 1 million people at risk of starvation". CNN. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  18. ^ Tétrault-Farber, Gabrielle (19 March 2024). "Israel's restrictions to Gaza aid may be war crime, says UN rights office". Reuters.
  19. ^ Beaumont, Peter (20 March 2024). "'Man-made famine' charge against Israel is backed by mounting body of evidence". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  20. ^ Solomon, Erika (13 June 2024). "The U.N. Report on Israeli and Palestinian War Crimes: What We Know". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  21. ^ Murphy, Brett (24 September 2024). "Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, Two Government Bodies Concluded. Antony Blinken Rejected Them". ProPublica. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  22. ^ Corder, Mike (18 March 2024). "Israel asks UN court to reject South Africa's request for interim orders to prevent starvation in Gaza". PBS Newshour. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  23. ^ Halabi, Einav (24 February 2024). "COGAT:'There is no limit to the amount of aid that can enter Gaza'". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  24. ^
  25. ^ "UN chief blames Israeli 'obstacles, chokepoints' for looming famine in Gaza Strip". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference DeYoung Hudson 2024 g056 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Magid, Jacob. "US envoy says Israel has yet to provide 'specific evidence' that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  28. ^ Sharon, Jeremy (31 May 2024). "Key Gaza famine report cited by UN, ICJ has systematic flaws, Israeli review finds". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024.


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