UN agency: Gaza heading for disastrous famine

Saba Yemen

13-05-2025

New York - Saba:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF called for the immediate opening of the crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
They warned of the imminent threat of famine, the complete collapse of the agricultural sector, and the high rates of malnutrition and mortality resulting from the ongoing blockade and the deprivation of food, water, and healthcare.
The new UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, released Monday evening, showed that the entire population of the Gaza Strip, approximately 2.1 million people, is facing severe food insecurity.
93% of the population (1.95 million people) is classified between Phases 3 and 5, with 244,000 people (12%) in Phase 5 (catastrophic famine), 925,000 (44%) in Phase 4 (emergency), and the remainder in Phase 3 (food crisis).
The report revealed that approximately 470,000 people are currently suffering from actual famine, while 71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers require immediate treatment for acute malnutrition. Since the beginning of 2025, an estimated 60,000 children have been in need of direct treatment.
The United Nations expects the situation to continue to deteriorate during the period from May 11 to the end of September 2025, with the entire population remaining in a state of food crisis or worse.
In the agricultural sector, the FAO indicated that 42% of Gaza's land (more than 15,000 hectares) was cultivated before October 2023. However, 75% of fields and olive groves were damaged or destroyed during military operations, and two-thirds of agricultural wells (1,531 wells) were no longer usable by early 2025.
Although the FAO distributed more than 2,100 tons of fodder and veterinary supplies to more than 4,800 herders, supplies fall short of needs. The FAO confirmed that an additional 20-30% of livestock are at risk of dying if the entry of care supplies continues.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned that "entire families are starving while aid stands at borders without permission to enter," stressing that "famine doesn't come suddenly; it occurs when people are denied access to food and care."
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed that hunger and malnutrition have become a daily reality for Gaza's children, calling for immediate action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
The report indicated that more than 116,000 tons of food aid are ready at the crossings, enough to feed approximately one million people for four months, but these have not been allowed in due to the blockade. Food stocks have also been completely depleted, and all 25 subsidized bakeries have been closed due to a shortage of wheat flour and cooking fuel since the end of April.
UN agencies called for respect for international humanitarian law and immediate access to supplies, warning that the continued blockade will lead to death rates exceeding famine levels in the coming months.
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