Severe famine caused by limited food and aid is currently unfolding in Gaza, increasing deaths from malnutrition and pushing the humanitarian crisis to catastrophic levels that now seem nearly impossible to reverse.
A UN-backed food security agency has warned that “the worst-case scenario of famine” is now unfolding in Gaza, as starvation intensifies and Israel faces mounting international pressure to allow more food into the territory.
Gaza’s health ministry has reported over 60,000 Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli campaign nearly two years ago, and accroding to ABC news, 180 malnutrition related deaths have been recorded since the start of the war.
“Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and essential services has plummeted,” stated the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), adding that “mounting evidence shows widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving hunger-related deaths.”
Although not a formal famine classification, the alert aims to draw urgent attention to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis. A new IPC analysis is expected to begin immediately, as officials have described the current situation as their most serious warning so far as starvation rapidaly increases.
Over
children were treated for acute malnutrition from April to mid-July
More than
classified as severely malnourished
At least
children under five have died from hunger-related causes since mid-July.
The IPC has a five phase classification system when defining famine. Accordingly, famine occurs when 20% of households lack food, 30% of children suffer from malnutrition or at least two adults or four children per 10,000 people die daily. In the case of Gaza, between May and July the number of households facing extreme hunger doubled, surpassing famine thresholds in most areas. Over 20,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition from April to mid-July, with more than 3,000 classified as severely malnourished. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes since mid-July.
“Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and acute malnutrition in Gaza City,” the IPC said, urging an “unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response.”
UN Women highlighted the impact on women and girls, warning that many are forced to choose between starvation and risking death while searching for food. The agency demanded unrestricted access for all civilians, the release of hostages, and long-term solutions including a two-state agreement. The IPC also confirmed that safe zones have shrunk to less than 12% of the territory. Over 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced following the collapse of the March ceasefire, with 762,500 new displacements since then.
CARE’s response director Beckie Ryan said, “This is not a surprise, even our staff are getting thinner before our eyes.”
In May, the IPC had already placed Gaza at “high risk” of famine, reporting dangerously high levels of food insecurity. Israel allowed only limited aid entry in the weeks following the end of a crippling blockade.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the crisis as “real starvation,” announcing plans to establish American-run “food centers” in Gaza. Vice President JD Vance added, “You’ve got little kids clearly starving to death,” urging Israel to ease restrictions and allow humanitarian aid to flow, while continuing pressure on Hamas.
Trump has calimed that the US gave $60 million in Gaza aid, however the state department has has allocated $30 million dollars fro distribution to Gaza, and only a fraction of which ($3 million) has been sent to the Gaza humanitraian foundation.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the BBC that “vast amounts” of food are urgently needed, calling Israel’s recent aid measures “a drop in the ocean.”
On Sunday, Israel collected 120 lorry loads of aid during the first daily 10-hour “tactical pause,” while Jordan and the UAE airdropped 28 food packages. Fletcher noted that fewer than 100 lorry loads were distributed by the UN, compared to 600–700 daily during a previous ceasefire, with many trucks reportedly looted upon entry. It is important to note that The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that airdrops are “a last resort,” and both “inefficient and dangerous,” particularly in overcrowded areas.
Many Palestinians remain skeptical of the methods used from receiving aid; Eyad al-Banna, a father of seven, said the aid “won’t change anything,” while Hikmat al-Masri called the airdrops “insulting,” referencing civilians killed by falling packages.
Morover, Since late May, nearly 800 people have been killed near food distribution sites in Gaza — 615 near U.S.–Israeli-backed GHF hubs and 183 along UN or convoy routes — highlighting the extreme dangers of aid access, including shootings and stampedes. There are only 4 hubs in Gaza that provide aid, and these hubs work for very short times—usually just 10 to 15 minutes a day, only once or twice a week—leaving most of Gaza without access to aid.
Despite the tactical pause, aid remains minimal. Prime Minister Netanyahu faces pressure from far-right coalition members demanding harsher military action. On the other hand, Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) have accused the Israeli government of genocide, citing the “systematic extermination” of Gaza’s health system. Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert also described the proposed “humanitarian city” in Rafah as resembling a concentration camp and amounting to ethnic cleansing.
Recommended actions include an immediate ceasefire, the restoration of commercial supply routes, protection for civilians and aid workers, and unrestricted humanitarian access. Over 130 international agencies are now calling for urgent intervention to end the mass starvation in Gaza. However, Israel’s ongoing siege continues to block aid distribution, leading to additional deaths from hunger.
