The "worst-case famine scenario is unfolding in the Gaza Strip" due to intensifying fighting, massive population displacement, and restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) report published this Tuesday.
The humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory ravaged by nearly 22 months of war "has reached an alarming and deadly turning point," emphasizes the IPC report (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) published this Tuesday, the result of work by non-governmental organizations, regional institutions, and specialized UN agencies.
The recent Israeli-authorized food air-drops "will not be enough to reverse the humanitarian catastrophe," warns the document, stating that these air-drops are more costly, less efficient, and more dangerous than overland deliveries.
"One in three people goes several days without eating"
Last May, the consortium, which determines the level of food insecurity according to five levels, classified 1.95 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip (93% of the total) as being in a "crisis" situation (level 3), including 925,000 at level 4 (emergency) and 244,000 in a catastrophic situation (level 5). A new quantitative analysis of the situation is underway, the report indicates.
This IPC alert comes as the United Nations has warned against the use of hunger as a weapon of war, and international pressure on Israel is mounting to end its total blockade of Gaza imposed in March.
"The latest data indicate that famine thresholds have been reached (...) in most of the Gaza Strip," says the report, according to which "one in three people goes several days without eating."
"More than 20,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, more than 3,000 of whom suffered from severe malnutrition. Hospitals have reported a rapid increase in hunger-related deaths among children under five, with at least 16 deaths reported since July 17," the document adds.
Risk of "mass deaths in a large part of the Gaza Strip"
"Immediate and large-scale action is needed to end hostilities and allow unhindered humanitarian access," pleads the consortium. "Failure to act now will result in mass deaths in a large part of the Gaza Strip," it warns.
The Israeli army announced Sunday a limited pause in its offensive in the Gaza Strip, where international agencies have resumed distributing humanitarian aid for the first time in months. But Israel continued its offensive outside the hours and areas concerned by this daily "tactical pause" from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (7 a.m. to 5 p.m. GMT) in certain areas.