Imminent Famine in Gaza: Report Finds

By Abigail BeDard

A recent report from the Famine Review Committee (FRC) has claimed that famine is likely imminent in Gaza. The report was created by four independent researchers, all of whom are members of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification organization (IPC), which is made up of a network of U.N. agencies and other outside organizations. The IPC was created to monitor global food security and hunger. In their latest report, the committee warned that, “famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future.”

The November 2024 report highlights the rapid rise in food insecurity in Gaza, as over 130,000 individuals in North Gaza are estimated to be experiencing a catastrophic level of food insecurity, or “IPC Phase 5”, defined by the organization as, “a situation in which at least one in five households has an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution, resulting in extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death”.

This alarming report reveals that widespread damage to infrastructure, including water systems, and vital supply chains has decimated the region’s ability to produce and distribute food. The Israeli blockade and restricted movement of goods and people, compounded by the ongoing conflict, have severely limited access to essential supplies, including food, medicine, and fuel. An earlier IPC report also notes that vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are at an increased risk of malnutrition.

The United Nations, the United States and numerous other organizations and governments are calling upon Israel to bolster the amount of humanitarian aid entering into Gaza, including food, water, and medical supplies, as the need for assistance continues to far surpass available resources. Despite these efforts, the humanitarian corridor remains severely restricted, further exacerbating the crisis.

Israel rejected the group’s report on Saturday morning, claiming, “Unfortunately, the researchers continue to rely on partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests”. Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli agency tasked with overseeing humanitarian aid for Gaza, released a statement via X, seemingly in response to the report, “as part of the commitment to transfer humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip… 11 trucks containing food, water and medical equipment were brought to the distribution centers for the remaining population in Jabalia and Beit Hanoun”. The group went on to assert that, “Alongside the operation, humanitarian efforts continue in the northern Gaza Strip. Accordingly 713 aid trucks were brought into the northern Gaza Strip through the Erez West crossing since the beginning of October”. 

It is worth noting that before the war, an average of 500 aid trucks entered Gaza each day. The FRC’s report concluded with an urgent call to action, “Failure to respond to these calls within the next few days will result in a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and additional, avoidable, civilian deaths. If no effective action is taken by stakeholders with influence, the scale of this looming catastrophe is likely to dwarf anything we have seen so far in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023”. With winter approaching, the FRC’s findings underscore the urgency of a coordinated international response to avert further loss of life and human suffering in Gaza.