One in five people in Gaza face starvation, report warns, as Israel’s months-long blockade continues

The Gaza Strip is on the verge of famine, with one in five residents now facing starvation, a United Nations-backed report revealed this week. Nearly three months into Israel’s full blockade of humanitarian aid, the warning highlights an escalating humanitarian crisis affecting over two million Palestinians.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, which evaluates famine risk, issued a stark statement: "Only an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities and the resumption of humanitarian aid delivery can prevent a descent into famine."

According to the IPC, Gaza has already met one of the three thresholds required to declare famine. Over 22% of the population roughly 469,500 people are experiencing “catastrophic” food insecurity, the highest level on the IPC’s five-phase scale.

Since Israel’s renewed military campaign began on March 2, aid agencies report a dramatic deterioration in access to food, medicine, and clean water. All 25 of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) bakeries in Gaza closed in early April due to lack of supplies. Most of the 177 community kitchens are also running out of food.

“Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks,” the IPC said.

The price of flour has surged 3,000% since February. A single 55-pound sack of wheat flour now sells for as much as $520, making basic food items unaffordable for most.

Israel says the blockade and increased bombardment are designed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. However, humanitarian organizations accuse Israel of violating international law and using starvation as a weapon of war.

David Mencer, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, denied the famine warnings, claiming, “Famine has never happened” in Gaza. He blamed Hamas for withholding aid from civilians. Meanwhile, U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee acknowledged the severity of the situation. “Obviously yes, there is a humanitarian crisis,” he told CNN.

Displacement has intensified the crisis. Since March, over 430,000 people have been forced from their homes. Essential services are breaking down as the blockade enters its third month.

The UN says its food reserves have been exhausted. On Monday, only 260,000 meals were distributed across Gaza down 70% from the previous week. “Stocks have run out, bakeries have shut down, community kitchens are closing daily, and people are starving,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General.

Children and pregnant women face the highest risk. Nearly 71,000 children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition over the next year. Nearly 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women also require urgent nutritional treatment.

Many families are now scavenging for food. Some have turned to grass, animal feed, and polluted water. Imran Rajab, a mother in Gaza City, told CNN she fed her six children bread made from flour she found in a garbage dumpster.

“My kids are vomiting after they eat it,” she said. “It smells horrible. But what else can I do?”

Dr. Amjad Al-Muzaini, a gynecologist in Gaza, described the toll on women’s health. “Women are sacrificing their well-being to feed their children,” he said. He noted that many cesarean patients had intestinal and uterine damage due to months of eating canned and low-quality food.

Despite the desperate need, over 3,000 trucks loaded with aid are stuck outside Gaza, blocked by Israeli authorities. The WFP said it has enough supplies to feed the entire population for two months but cannot deliver it.

“Families in Gaza are starving while the food they need is sitting at the border,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said on X. “If we wait for famine to be officially confirmed, it will be TOO LATE.”

The crisis comes nearly nineteen months after Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Since then, nearly 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. In just the past two months, more than 2,500 have died.

The international community now faces urgent calls to pressure for ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors before Gaza descends further into famine.

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