Famine confirmed in Gaza City for first time, IPC says
By Nathan Morley
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has confirmed a famine in Gaza City for the first time, raising its alert to Phase 5 — the highest level on its acute food insecurity scale.
More than 500,000 people are facing catastrophic conditions, according to the IPC report released Thursday. An additional 1.07 million residents, or 54% of Gaza’s population, are experiencing emergency-level food insecurity, classified as Phase 4.
The IPC warned that famine conditions are expected to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by late September. Acute malnutrition is rising sharply, with 132,000 children under age 5 at risk of death by mid-2026.
The report also identified 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women in urgent need of nutritional support. This marks the first time the IPC has declared a famine in the Middle East.
The organization attributed the crisis to man-made factors, including ongoing conflict, mass displacement and restricted humanitarian access. Israeli officials have rejected the findings, calling the report biased and unreliable.
However, United Nations agencies and humanitarian groups say the evidence is overwhelming and call for immediate international intervention.
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