The United Nations has officially confirmed that famine conditions are present in the Gaza Governorate, specifically in Gaza City and its surrounding areas. This grim assessment comes from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a body backed by the UN, which has determined that extreme food deprivation, destitution, and death are current realities in these regions. This marks the first official confirmation of famine in the Middle East.
The IPC projects that these catastrophic conditions, classified as IPC Phase 5, are likely to expand to the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates by the end of September. Currently, over half a million people in Gaza are estimated to be facing these dire circumstances, with projections indicating this number could rise to approximately 641,000 by the end of September. An additional 1.14 million people are expected to be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the famine is a "direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government," and that "it is a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare." UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as a "man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself." He emphasized that famine represents a "deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival."
The Famine Review Committee (FRC) has highlighted that this famine is "entirely man-made" and, therefore, can be halted and reversed. However, the committee warns that any delay in aid delivery will lead to an unacceptable increase in famine-related deaths. The severity of acute malnutrition among children is accelerating at a catastrophic pace, with over 12,000 children identified as acutely malnourished in July alone, a six-fold increase since the start of the year. By June 2026, at least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, with over 41,000 cases being severe.
Israel, as the occupying power, has unequivocal obligations under international law to ensure the provision of food and medical supplies to the population. Despite increased aid supplies since July, they remain vastly insufficient and inaccessible compared to the immense need. The situation is exacerbated by the destruction of infrastructure, including approximately 98 percent of cropland, which has decimated the agriculture sector and local food production. The UN has stressed that people are starving, children are dying, and those with the duty to act are failing, calling for an immediate, large-scale response to prevent further loss of life.