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Food supply

Famine Declared in Gaza Strip, Over Half a Million at Risk of Starvation

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A devastating famine has been declared in the Gaza Strip, with over half a million people at risk of starvation. The crisis, caused by two years of war, repeated displacement, and severe restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid, is expected to worsen in the coming weeks, with famine projected to spread to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates. Famine (IPC Phase 5) is triggered when three critical thresholds have been breached: extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 640,000 people in Gaza are likely to face famine by the end of September, with a further 1.14 million people expected to face emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions.
  • Women and girls are hit hardest, with 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women at severe risk of death from malnutrition by mid-2026, three times the alarming 17,000 in May 2025.
  • An estimated 28,000 women and girls have reportedly been killed in Gaza since October 2023, and an avoidable crisis has led to widespread displacement and prolonged food insecurity.
  • Aid distribution sites are controlled by Israel and are often inaccessible, forcing Palestinians to undertake a gruelling six-hour roundtrip to feed their families, with many not making it back with food or even their lives.
  • At least 1,880 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured while seeking food, and airdrops of supplies are inadequate and dangerous, with aid failing to reach the most vulnerable and often leading to injury or death.
  • Inas, a mother of three, plays with her newborn outside her tent in western Gaza City, highlighting the dire living conditions and lack of basic supplies.
  • Every day, people are dying of malnutrition in Gaza, and closures of borders and crossings are exacerbating the crisis.

Statistics:

  • Over 640,000 people in Gaza are likely to face famine by the end of September.
  • 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are expected to be at severe risk of death from malnutrition by mid-2026.
  • 1.14 million people in Gaza are expected to face emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions.
  • 28,000 women and girls have reportedly been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
  • At least 1,880 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured while seeking food.

Sources:

  • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • United Nations agency for children (UNICEF)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • UN agencies, including the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher.

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