The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed famine conditions in Gaza City and surrounding areas. This is the first time famine has been declared in the Middle East.
The IPC declares famine when three critical thresholds are met simultaneously:
- Extreme food deprivation: At least 20% of households experience severe food shortages
- Acute malnutrition: At least 30% of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition
- Mortality rates: At least 2 deaths per 10,000 people daily (or 4 children per 10,000) due to starvation and related causes
The latest analysis confirms that all three criteria have been met in Gaza Governorate based on “reasonable evidence”.
The IPC report reveals that over 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip are currently experiencing “catastrophic conditions” characterized by starvation, destitution and death. This is nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 2.1 million population. Additionally, more than 1 million people face emergency levels of food insecurity, while approximately 396,000 are in crisis conditions.
The situation is projected to deteriorate further by the end of September, when famine is expected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates. By that time, nearly one-third of Gaza’s population, approximately 641,000 people, will face catastrophic hunger conditions.
Malnutrition rates among children have reached alarming levels, with nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City now acutely malnourished. Global Acute Malnutrition rates have tripled since June in Gaza City, doubled in Khan Younis and the Middle Area, making Gaza City the worst-hit area in the Strip.
Gaza City currently shows the most severe conditions, with 30% of residents experiencing catastrophic hunger and 50% in emergency conditions. The IPC was unable to classify North Gaza due to limited data access.
The death toll from malnutrition has surged dramatically. In July 2025 alone, 63 of the year’s 74 malnutrition-related deaths occurred, including 24 children under five. By August, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that at least 100 children have died from malnutrition and hunger since the conflict began. More recent reports indicate 227 total malnutrition-related deaths, including 103 children, as of August 2025.
The famine has been characterized by international experts as “entirely man-made” and attributable to four key factors: ongoing conflict, mass displacement, restricted humanitarian access, and the collapse of food systems.
Israel imposed a complete blockade on food and essential supplies from March to May 2025, creating what aid organizations describe as the longest interruption of humanitarian assistance since the conflict began. Even after the blockade was lifted, severe restrictions persist on aid deliveries.
Current aid levels remain drastically insufficient. The World Food Programme calls for at least 100 trucks of aid daily to enter Gaza, but actual deliveries fall far short of this minimum requirement. Between July 27 and August, only approximately 1,334 aid trucks entered Gaza through all crossings—significantly below the 9,000 trucks that could have entered if 600 trucks per day had crossed as recommended by the United States.
Aid shipments face numerous obstacles, including rejection over minor packaging issues, extensive dual-use inspections, limited border crossing hours, and approval processes that now take “at least one month” compared to “a few days” during earlier ceasefires. Humanitarian workers report that aid is frequently turned back at borders, with supplies languishing in warehouses and on roadsides.
Israel has rejected the IPC findings, with the foreign ministry stating there is no famine in Gaza and dismissing the report as based on Hamas “lies.”
Gaza’s health infrastructure has been decimated, with only four specialized malnutrition treatment centers remaining operational and working beyond capacity. These facilities face fuel shortages and expect supplies to run out by mid-next month.
Of the 234 nutrition centers that existed across Gaza, only 144 remain functional. In July alone, over 5,000 children under five were admitted for outpatient malnutrition treatment, with 18% suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition—the most life-threatening form.
The collapse of water and sanitation systems accelerates disease spread, creating a dangerous cycle of illness and death that compounds malnutrition. More than 1,060 people have been killed and 7,200 injured while trying to access food since May 27.
While Gaza faces famine conditions, the West Bank also confronts escalating food insecurity. More than 40,000 people have been displaced since mid-January 2025 due to military operations dubbed “Iron Wall,” which began in refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams.
