It's likely that northern Gaza will rapidly be hit by famine according to a warning from the United Nations. The UN reiterated a warning from a committee of global food security experts on Friday who says the humanitarian situation is "extremely grave".
There is a strong chance that famine is rapidly going to hit parts of the northern Gaza Strip, a committee of global food security experts warned on Friday (8 November), as Israel pursues a military offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas in the area.
Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, repeated the alert from the committee to reporters at the U.N. as part of a daily briefing.
Tremblay said the report says that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, "is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating."
"They're calling for immediate action within days, not weeks. And this action is required from all who are directly taking part in the conflict or who have influence on its conduct to avert and to alleviate this catastrophic situation," she added.
The warning comes just days ahead of a U.S. deadline for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on U.S. military aid.
Israel's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Famine Review Committee said that it could be "assumed that starvation, malnutrition, and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease, are rapidly increasing" in north Gaza.
"Famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future," it said.
"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," the FRC committee said.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that there are between 75,000 and 95,000 people still in northern Gaza.
Israel began a wide military push in northern Gaza last month. The United States has said it is watching to ensure that its ally's actions on the ground show it does not have a "policy of starvation" in the north.
The Famine Review Committee reviews findings by the global hunger monitor - an internationally recognised standard known as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The IPC defines famine as when at least 20% of people in an area are suffering extreme food shortages, with at least 30% of children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
The IPC is an initiative involving U.N. agencies, national governments and aid groups that sets the global standard on measuring food crises.
The IPC warned last month that the entire Gaza Strip was at risk of famine, while top U.N. officials last week described the northern Gaza Strip as "apocalyptic" and everyone there was "at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence."
The amount of aid entering Gaza has plummeted to its lowest level in a year, according to U.N. data, and the U.N. has repeatedly accused Israel of hindering and blocking attempts to deliver aid, particularly to Gaza's north.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon last month told the Security Council that the issue in Gaza was not a lack of aid, saying more than a million tons had been delivered during the past year. He accused Hamas of hijacking the assistance.
Hamas has repeatedly denied Israeli allegations that it was stealing aid and says Israel is to blame for shortages.
Rescuers searched the rubble of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake killed a...
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics...
Türkiye’s president-designate for this autumn’s UN climate conference on Tuesday signed the COP31 host country agreement during a gathering in Bo...
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has warned that escalating conflict in Iran and the wider region is plac...
Anti‑immigrant violence swept across Belfast on Tuesday night, as masked groups attacked homes, clashed with police and set vehicles alight followin...
Four Palestinians, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday (8 June), according to local health officials, as mediators continued efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swimming trips.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party has won the Armenian elections, picking up nearly half the vote. With a majority in parliament, Pashinyan is set for a third term as Prime Minister. But an opposition politican has said he will challenge the election results.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
Armenia’s parliamentary election has strengthened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s mandate, with analysts linking the result to his post-Garabagh agenda and pro-Western direction. However, constitutional constraints remain a key obstacle to peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
Rescuers searched the rubble of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds across the country.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Anti‑immigrant violence swept across Belfast on Tuesday night, as masked groups attacked homes, clashed with police and set vehicles alight following a stabbing incident that had already heightened tensions in the city.
Mexico City has been hit by major disruption eight days before it hosts the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as teachers, retired judges and other groups staged mass protests.
At least 12 people were killed and nine others injured after gunmen opened fire in the Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg, late on Tuesday night (9 June).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment