High risk of famine persists in Gaza, latest IPC acute food insecurity analysis finds ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Tuesday, 25 June 2024

High risk of famine persists in Gaza, latest IPC acute food insecurity analysis finds

25 June 2024 -- A high risk of Famine persists across Gaza as long as the conflict continues, and humanitarian access is restricted, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis for Gaza released today. The warning is based on evidence available from 27 May to 4 June 2024.

The IPC analysis notes that the devastation brought about by the hostilities continues to be indescribable. The previous IPC acute food insecurity analysis for Gaza, released in March 2024, projected that Famine would likely occur in the north of Gaza by the end of May, if an immediate cessation of hostilities and sustained access for the provision of essential supplies and services to the population did not take place. Since March, the amount of food deliveries and nutrition services provided to the north of Gaza have temporarily alleviated the suffering of the population in this area, although humanitarian access continues to be very limited.

The situation deteriorated significantly in the south of Gaza, following renewed hostilities in early May. Over one million people have been displaced since the start of the Rafah offensive on 6 May. The closure of the Rafah border crossing and disruptions to Karem Shalom crossing have further restricted humanitarian access to the nearly two million people in the southern governorates. Further concentration of displaced populations into areas with significantly reduced water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), health and other essential infrastructure increases the risk of disease outbreaks, which would have catastrophic effects on the nutritional and health status of the population.

At the present, 2.15 million or 96% of the people of Gaza face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC 3 and above) and 495 000 people or 22% of the population are still experiencing an extreme lack of food (IPC 5). Given the unpredictability of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian access challenges, any significant change may lead to a very rapid deterioration into Famine.

Only an end to the hostilities and immediate, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access can reduce the risk of a Famine occurring in the Gaza Strip. People of Gaza need peace now.

Background

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, Governments, UN Agencies, NGOs, civil society and other relevant actors, work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally recognised standards.
As a member of the IPC partnership, WHO provided technical expertise and information on the health situation for this evaluation.
Link to the IPC analysis for Gaza: https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1157065/?iso3=PSE

Media contact:

mediainquiries@who.int

You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list.
If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe.
Journalists may send feedback to WHO Media Team