Months of severe hunger have already claimed many lives in Gaza and caused lasting harm to children through Starvation, according to two recent food security reports, even before an official famine declaration. The US-based famine early warning system network (Fews Net) stated that famine likely started in northern Gaza in April. Two UN agencies reported that over 1 million people could face death and starvation by mid-July.
The war complicates data collection needed to confirm a famine. Both organizations emphasized that focusing solely on whether Gaza meets the official famine criteria obscures the severe impact of food shortages on Palestinians. The Fews Net report noted that people are dying from hunger-related causes throughout Gaza, regardless of whether famine thresholds (IPC phase 5) have been definitively reached. It also highlighted that acute malnutrition among children is extremely high, leading to irreversible physiological damage.
“Widespread loss of life can occur even near famine thresholds. If prolonged, the accumulated death toll may be as high or higher than during a famine,” the report stated. Experts from the network, established by the US in the 1980s to warn of impending crises, initially declared it likely that famine had begun in northern Gaza in April.
Famine has a strict technical definition used by food and emergency aid professionals, with three specific conditions that must be met. This high threshold means that by the time famine is officially declared, many will have already died from hunger.
Under the technical definition, 20% of households must face extreme food shortages, one-third of children must suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, and two adults or four children per 10,000 people must be dying daily from hunger and its complications.
An internal Fews review panel, which would normally confirm or reject initial findings, decided there was insufficient data to do either. The report cited “conflict and humanitarian access constraints” as barriers to research. Entry into Gaza is controlled by Israeli authorities, movements require military permission, roads are obstructed by rubble, fuel is scarce, and power and communications are barely functional.
The final report, considering “available evidence and known information gaps,” concluded it was “possible, if not likely” that all three IPC thresholds for famine were met or surpassed in northern Gaza in April.
The outgoing UN aid chief noted that little is being done to prevent a worsening catastrophe. “Delivering aid in Gaza has become almost impossible,” Martin Griffiths said on X. “We are nowhere near where we need to be. All border crossings must be open, and humanitarian aid must be prioritized.”
The World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization warned in their Hunger Hotspots report that the impact of hunger is severe, even without an official famine declaration. They emphasized that without a ceasefire and improved access, the mortality and suffering of Palestinians will continue to escalate.
New aid crossings into northern Gaza have improved food access slightly since May. However, in the south, the crisis has worsened after an Israeli military advance into Rafah blocked main aid routes, with at least two child deaths from malnutrition reported.
Médecins Sans Frontières reported intensified fighting in central Gaza, with al-Aqsa hospital overwhelmed by casualties from heavy Israeli airstrikes. At least 70 dead and more than 300 wounded were brought in, pushing the medical system to collapse. With the Rafah crossing to Egypt closed, medical evacuations for the severely injured have ceased.
“The emergency room’s blood odor was unbearable. People are lying everywhere, inside and outside,” said Karin Huster, an MSF medical referent in Gaza. “Bodies were brought in plastic bags. The situation is overwhelming.”
