Famine has taken hold in Gaza and is expected to spread further by the end of September, a top U.N. humanitarian has said.
By Nathan Morley
Famine has taken hold in Gaza and is expected to spread further by the end of September, a top U.N. humanitarian has said.
Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, delivered the stark warning on behalf of Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher, citing new findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee.
She said famine is now occurring in Gaza governorate and is projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis within weeks.
According to U.N. estimates, more than 500,000 people are currently facing starvation and destitution. That figure could rise to 640,000 by the end of next month. An additional 1 million people are classified in Emergency Phase 4, while over 390,000 are in Crisis Phase 3.
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Gaza City
“Virtually no one in Gaza is untouched by hunger,” Msuya said.
The briefing marked a grim escalation in warnings previously issued to the Council, where famine had been described as a worst-case scenario. U.N. officials now say that scenario has arrived.
The impact on children is especially severe. At least 132,000 children under the age of 5 are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between now and mid-2026.
Of those, more than 43,000 are now at risk of death—a figure that has tripled in recent months. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, the number affected is projected to surge from 17,000 to 55,000.
