Long Overdue Declaration of Famine in Gaza: What Should Happen Now?
The UN has finally declared famine in Gaza, a move long overdue as the humanitarian crisis reaches catastrophic levels. Immediate action, including a ceasefire and large-scale aid delivery, is urgently needed to prevent further loss of life.
Kokcha News Agency – The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has declared famine in Gaza, confirming that over 514,000 people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. The report, released on August 22, warns that famine could soon spread to Central and Southern Gaza, threatening an additional one million Palestinians.
The famine declaration comes after months of escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where heavy military assaults, blocked aid, destroyed infrastructure, and a collapsed health system have left the population in dire need. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 273 people, including 112 children, have died of starvation as of August 22.
Conditions for Famine Declaration
The IPC, a globally recognized system for monitoring food emergencies, requires three conditions to declare famine:
- At least one in five households facing extreme food shortages,
- One in three children suffering from acute malnutrition,
- At least two adults (per 10,000 people per day) dying of hunger-related causes.
In Gaza, all three conditions have been met, yet the declaration was delayed due to the time required for data collection and verification.
A Man-Made Crisis
The IPC report describes Gaza’s famine as “entirely man-made,” pointing to Israel’s destruction of infrastructure, blockade, and obstruction of aid as primary causes. The report calls for an immediate, large-scale response, warning that “any further delay—even by a day—will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of famine-related mortality.”
Humanitarian Access Blocked
Since December 2023, the IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC) has issued five reports on Gaza, highlighting the worsening crisis. Despite repeated warnings, Israel has failed to address the situation. The FRC has also expressed concern over civilian killings during food distributions by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial entity established after Israel blocked UN-coordinated aid. Between May and August 2025, over 2,000 people were killed or injured during GHF distributions.
Legal Implications
The famine declaration has significant legal implications under international humanitarian and criminal law. The deliberate use of hunger and denial of aid as weapons of war constitutes both a war crime and a crime against humanity. The UN’s declaration can serve as evidence in legal proceedings to hold Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, criminally responsible.
Call to Action
The IPC report urges the international community to act immediately. Without a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access, preventable deaths will rise exponentially. The report emphasizes that therapeutic food, far beyond basic supplies like flour or lentils, must be delivered by skilled medical teams to save lives.
