UN Agencies Confirm Famine in Gaza: FAO, WFP, UNICEF Briefing

Famine Confirmed in Gaza

• 🚨 The IPC analysis confirms that famine conditions are now occurring in Gaza Governorate, with over half a million people facing catastrophic deprivation.
• 📈 Projections indicate that by the end of September, famine is expected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis governorates, affecting 33% of the population.
• ⚠️ Famine is defined by three crossed thresholds: extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths, all of which have now been met.

Drivers and Impact of Famine

• 💥 The primary driver of the famine is conflict, exacerbated by displacement and restricted access to essential supplies.
• 📉 Food systems have collapsed, with 98.5% of crop land destroyed or inaccessible, and livestock decimated.
• 💸 Cash is scarce, and soaring market prices make available food unaffordable for most households.

Historical Context and Unprecedented Situation

• 🌍 This is only the fifth time an IPC famine has been confirmed in over 20 years, with previous instances in Somalia and South Sudan.
• 🌍 The confirmation of two concurrent famines (Gaza and Sudan) is unprecedented.
• 🗺️ This marks the first famine confirmation in the Middle East.

Child Survival Crisis

• 💔 A severe child survival crisis is unfolding, with malnutrition accelerating at a catastrophic pace.
• 📈 Approximately 13,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished last month, a six-fold increase since the start of the year.
• ⚠️ Nearly one in four of these children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form.
• 🏥 Children are vulnerable due to collapsing health systems, scarce safe water, and the life-threatening impact of common diseases on malnourished bodies.

Call to Action

• ⏳ Agencies emphasize that this is a race against time, requiring immediate and decisive action to prevent further loss of life.
• 🕊️ Key needs include an immediate and sustained ceasefire, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and scaled-up multisectoral aid.
• 🌍 The situation is described as a man-made crisis that requires political will to avert.