Gaza is now facing the reality of famine. According to UN-backed food security experts, two out of three thresholds used to declare famine extreme food consumption decline and acute malnutrition have already been crossed. Only one element remains to formally classify it: confirmed deaths from starvation. That data, officials say, is increasingly hard to verify because Gaza’s health system has nearly collapsed.
“The worst-case scenario of famine is playing out before our eyes,” said Ross Smith, a senior emergency official with the World Food Programme (WFP), during a briefing in Geneva. “This is not a warning. This is a call to action.”
The latest alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) follows months of warnings from UN agencies and aid workers. It paints a grim picture of mass starvation, widespread disease, and infrastructure destruction as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens under the pressure of continued fighting, blocked aid, and forced displacement.
UN data shows that more than 20,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition since April. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes in recent weeks. Hospitals are overwhelmed and under-equipped and have no capacity to meet basic medical emergencies. Fuel shortages have shut down life-saving equipment. Clean water is scarce and families are left without food, electricity and shelter.
One in three people in Gaza is now going days without a meal, the IPC reported. At least half a million residents are expected to fall into Phase 5 classified as “catastrophe” by September if current conditions persist.
“This is unlike anything we have seen in this century,” Smith said. “We are witnessing death from hunger in real time.”
Roughly 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed since Israel launched military operations following Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. Gaza’s population of 2.1 million has been pushed into extreme hardship. According to the UN, over 90% of the population has been displaced, with families forced to move repeatedly as safe zones shrink.
What remains of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure hospitals, schools, water systems, and roads has either been hit or is failing under strain. Fewer than 12% of the territory is considered remotely safe.
The UN and humanitarian agencies say access to the enclave remains restricted. Though Israel announced daily “tactical pauses” to allow aid to pass through corridors, convoys continue to face delays, redirections, or threats of violence. More than 100 trucks were reportedly allowed in last Sunday, but the volume is far below what is required.
“The trickle of aid must become an ocean,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York. “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. This is not a warning. It is a reality.”
UN agencies have called for a full and immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the opening of all crossings for aid and commercial goods, and protection of civilians.
“This nightmare must end,” UN SG Guterres said. “It’s a test of our shared humanity and we cannot fail it.”
Air drops of aid, which began this week, have been criticized by the WFP as expensive, limited, and unsafe for civilians in crowded areas. At least 11 people were reportedly injured on Sunday during a drop in Gaza.
“These operations are a last resort,” Smith said. “They are no substitute for open land access and full-scale distribution. Until those logistical hurdles are resolved, we will not see any meaningful improvement.”
Women and girls in Gaza are especially at risk. The UN reported on Tuesday that many now face the impossible choice between starving in place or braving death in search of food and water.
“In Gaza, women and girls are forced into dangerous decisions no person should ever face,” said Sofia Calltorp, a UN representative in Geneva. “They must have access to aid and safety, now.”
More than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to updated estimates.
This week, France and Saudi Arabia led a high-level international conference at the UN focused on securing a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants called for a viable two-state solution and immediate steps to protect civilians.
IPC analysts, meanwhile, said the solution to the famine lies in three actions: a permanent ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and full restoration of essential services across Gaza.
Without urgent action, they warn, mass death from starvation and disease will continue and Gaza’s crisis will deepen even further.
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