Gaza Famine: A Man-Made Crisis Declared by International Aid Agencies

Strategic Insights -

Gaza City and its surrounding areas are suffering from a severe and entirely man-made famine, largely caused by Israel's deliberate starvation strategy and ongoing siege of the territory. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed this crisis, warning that it is often too late to stop the exponential rise in deaths due to starvation and malnutrition when a famine is declared. The IPC's declaration is a critical institutional marker, serving as a reminder of how Israel has used starvation as a weapon of war while western powers have turned a blind eye.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IPC has confirmed that Gaza City and its surrounding areas are in the midst of a full-blown famine, with at least 20% of households facing an extreme shortage of food, 30% of children suffering from acute malnutrition, and two adults or four children out of every 10,000 people dying each day due to starvation or disease and malnutrition.
  • The famine is largely caused by Israel's deliberate starvation strategy and ongoing siege of Gaza, which has been supported by the Trump administration's unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
  • The IPC's declaration of famine is a critical institutional marker, serving as a reminder of how Israel has used starvation as a weapon of war while western powers have turned a blind eye.
  • The UN and other aid groups have enough food near Gaza's borders to feed its entire population of 2.1 million for nearly three months, but Israel refuses to allow much of that aid into the besieged territory.
  • The Gaza famine is a man-made crisis, with Tom Fletcher, the UN's humanitarian aid chief, stating that it is "caused by cruelty, justified by revenge, enabled by indifference and sustained by complicity".
  • The Trump administration has chosen to support Israel's starvation campaign, despite being warned by the UN and international aid groups about the potential for widespread starvation in Gaza since early 2024.
  • Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has imposed a new siege on Gaza, depriving Palestinians of food, medicine, and other basic needs, and has been dragging his feet on negotiations for a ceasefire, despite Hamas accepting a ceasefire deal in August 2024.
  • The Biden administration was complicit in Israel's use of starvation as a weapon and other war crimes, providing the Israeli premier with political cover and billions of dollars in US arms throughout 2024.

Statistics:

  • At least 20% of households in Gaza City and its surrounding areas face an extreme shortage of food.
  • At least 30% of children in Gaza City and its surrounding areas suffer from acute malnutrition.
  • Two adults or four children out of every 10,000 people die each day due to starvation or disease and malnutrition in Gaza City and its surrounding areas.
  • The UN and other aid groups have enough food near Gaza's borders to feed its entire population of 2.1 million for nearly three months.
  • Israel has imposed a new siege on Gaza, depriving Palestinians of food, medicine, and other basic needs.

Sources:

  • (The Guardian, UK)
  • Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)
  • World Food Programme
  • World Health Organization
  • UN's humanitarian aid chief, Tom Fletcher
  • Trump administration official, Matthew Miller
  • Israeli TV report
  • Biden administration official
  • Hamas