A recent report by a leading global body on food safety and nutrition warns of an imminent risk of famine in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, with serious threat to the lives of 300,000 residents. According to the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification global venture, established in 2004 by UN agencies and global relief groups, a severe increase in malnutrition-induced fatalities in children is predicted.
The report, published on Monday, raises a red flag that hunger crisis may strike the northern counties as early as mid-March or May 2024. The initiative, which previously declared famine in Somalia (2011) and South Sudan (2017), anticipates that up to 1.1 million individuals could encounter the worst stages of hunger in the near future. The impending risk of starvation, escalating death rates, and particularly high malnutrition rates in under-five children amplify their concerns.
Worsening the situation are the ongoing conflicts and aid groups’ inability to reach the northern region of Gaza that saw an Israeli military invasion in October, which further jeopardises the livelihood of the remaining 300,000 Palestinian citizens.
The report indicates that Gaza, in its entirety, is grappling with severe food and basic commodities deficits, driven by Israel’s continuous shelling and a comprehensive blockade. Both the central and southern parts of Gaza could experience food shortages by July, based on the worst-case scenario, with all 2.2 million inhabitants confronting serious food scarcity issues.
The findings in December suggested that, barring immediate cessation of conflicts and increased aid deliveries to Gaza, famine could be a reality within six months. However, the conditions necessary to avert famine have not been realised, states their recent report.
For a situation to qualify as a famine according to the group, three criteria must be met: a minimum of 20% of households facing extreme food shortages; a minimum of 30% of children experiencing acute malnutrition; and a minimum of two adults or four children per 10,000 people succumbing daily to malnutrition-related diseases or starvation.
This information was initially reported by The New York Times.
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