Famine fears: UN calls for action as Gaza faces malnutrition and starvation risk

UN experts are warning of imminent famine risk in northern Gaza, urging intervention to prevent the crisis. 

“Immediate action, within days, not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict or who have an influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation,” underlines the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC).

According to the most recent IPC Snapshot Report, which was released last month, the entire Gaza Strip is experiencing acute food insecurity at the IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) level, with acute malnutrition occurring at the IPC Phase 3 (Serious) level in September and October. IPC also categorized 133,000 people facing food insecurity in the region.

Its analysis concluded that, under a “reasonable worst-case scenario,” the whole Gaza Strip risks famine between this month and April 2025.

“It can be assumed that starvation, malnutrition and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease are rapidly increasing in these areas. Famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future.”

Reduced aid trucks

World Food Programme’s (WFP) director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, Jean-Martin Bauer, blames population displacement and damage to infrastructure and health facilities for increasing famine risk, but mainly reduced commercial and humanitarian inflows.

“In late October, we were down to 58 trucks a day, compared to about 200 during the summer and most of the trucks that did come in…were bringing humanitarian assistance,” adds Bauer.

Cindy McCain, the director of the WFP and partner of the late US Senator and Vietnam War veteran, John McCain, said safe and fast humanitarian and commercial supplies must be allowed to prevent the famine.

Impact on food and nutrition 

The UN reports that food prices have doubled in recent weeks due to reduced transport of food.

IPC says excess mortality due to starvation, malnutrition and disease are rapidly increasing.Bauer says prices are “now about ten times higher than they were before the conflict,” while IPC details an increase of 283%, with the food Consumer Price Index (CPI) increasing by 312%.

It adds that between August and September this year, overall CPI rose by 11%, and the food CPI rose by 77%.

Furthermore, IPC notes increased damage to health and nutrition infrastructures and decreased access to water, sanitation and hygiene, while it warns of expected flooding and threats the winter may bring.

Conflicts bring insecurity

FRC warns of the “humanitarian catastrophe” and calls for stakeholders to take action to prevent the famine by allowing essential items such as food, water, medical and nutritional supplies to enter Gaza.

“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.”

Conflicts are responsible for the “hunger crisis” in 59 countries, according to the international organization CARE, with the situation being most acute in Haiti, Gaza and Sudan. In a previous interview with Nutrition Insight, the organization asserted that women and girls often bear the most harrowing consequences of conflict-related malnutrition.

According to its report, conflict and insecurity can make it difficult for people to meet their basic nutritional needs.

In May, Elizabeth Courtney, humanitarian advocacy advisor at CARE, told us: “Armed actors might be disrupting markets or aspects of the supply chain; we’re currently seeing this with the intense escalations of conflicts in Sudan, Gaza and Haiti. Over time, such a reality will degrade the quality of infrastructure and the quality of the food system that a country has.”

The World Food Programme recently reported that ongoing conflict in Sudan is “driving food insecurity to critical levels,” impacting food production and famines in Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam IDP camps in El Fasher.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s child hunger crisis continues to deepen, while Save the Children calls for urgent action. Government initiatives and US$50 million in World Bank funding aim to address food shortages and boost nutrition programs in the country.