Deliberate Starvation of Women and Girls in Gaza Condemned as "War Crime" by UN Committee

Strategic Insights -

The deliberate starvation of women and girls in Gaza has been condemned as a "war crime" by Nahla Haidar El Addal, chair of the UN committee on the elimination of discrimination against women (CEDAW). The situation has deteriorated to the point where the act of seeking food has become a death sentence, with over 20,000 children hospitalised for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). El Addal has urged for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the lifting of the siege on Gaza, and an end to the supply of arms to Israel that are fueling the crisis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The siege on Gaza, imposed by Israel after the October 7 2023 attack, has led to catastrophic hunger, with Gazans accounting for 80% of the people in the world experiencing catastrophic hunger by December 2023.
  • The deliberate starvation of women and girls in Gaza is being used as a tool of war, with women and girls paying the heaviest price due to their vulnerability.
  • Over 20,000 children have been hospitalised for acute malnutrition since April 2024, highlighting the severe impact of the siege on the health and well-being of civilians.
  • The situation has been described as a "man-made famine" imposed by Israel, which is a breach of legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
  • The UN committee chair has called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the lifting of the siege on Gaza, and an end to the supply of arms to Israel that are fueling the crisis.
  • The women and girls of Gaza are not collateral damage, but the targets of this famine, and accountability must be pursued.

Statistics:

  • Over 20,000 children (April - mid-July 2024) hospitalized for acute malnutrition, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
  • Gazans accounted for 80% of the people in the world experiencing catastrophic hunger by December 2023.
  • More than one million women and girls in Gaza are being deliberately starved.
  • The siege on Gaza has led to a total collapse in basic conditions required to sustain human life.

Sources:

  • The Guardian: UN expert warns of mass starvation in Gaza, drawing international attention to the crisis.
  • "Targeting civilians in armed conflict: maintaining safety from attacks" by UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri.
  • United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).