The United Nations has officially declared a famine in Gaza, warning thathalf a million people are facing severe hunger due to Israeli restrictionson humanitarian aid. This marks the UN’s strongest criticism yet ofIsrael’s role in blocking assistance to the territory.
Tom Fletcher, UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, statedon August 22 that Israel is deliberately obstructing aid delivery,worsening an already critical humanitarian situation. Israel dismissed thedeclaration, claiming the UN report is “based on Hamas lies” and influencedby groups with “special interests,” insisting that aid restrictions arenecessary for security reasons.
The famine designation comes from the Rome-based IPC expert group, whichfound that around 500,000 people—about one-fifth of Gaza’s population—aredirectly affected. Fletcher emphasized that the famine was preventable,noting that food supplies are being held at the borders but prevented fromentering due to systematic Israeli barriers.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described Gaza with a singleword: famine, highlighting the international community’s growing concernover the scale of the crisis. The UN’s announcement stresses the urgentneed for unrestricted humanitarian access, as aid groups warn that withoutimmediate action, thousands more could die from starvation and disease.
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The worsening situation also poses risks to regional stability, promptingstronger global criticism of Israel and increasing calls for a lastingceasefire and safe humanitarian corridors.