A looming catastrophe is on the horizon for northern Gaza, with global food security specialists warning that famine could soon strike the region. As Israel escalates its military operations against Hamas, a militant group in Palestine, the situation grows increasingly dire.
The independent Famine Review Committee (FRC), in a rare and urgent communication, emphasized the need for “swift action—days, rather than weeks”—from all parties involved in the conflict and those influencing its progression. Failure to act could lead to devastating consequences for the affected population.
This alarming assessment arrives just before a critical deadline imposed by the United States, which has called on Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or risk facing potential restrictions on its military support. Israel’s mission to the United Nations has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this pressing issue.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 75,000 to 95,000 individuals remain in northern Gaza amid escalating conflict. The FRC expressed their concern, noting that conditions have deteriorated to the point where “starvation, malnutrition, and excess deaths from malnutrition-related diseases are on an alarming rise” in the region.
They further warned that “famine thresholds may have already been breached or could be very close.” Meanwhile, the US is closely monitoring Israel’s military actions, insisting that its ally demonstrates there is no “policy of starvation” in the area.
The FRC relies on findings from the globally acknowledged Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a tool used to measure food crises worldwide. The IPC stipulates that famine is declared when at least 20% of the population faces extreme food shortages. This includes cases where at least 30% of minors are acutely malnourished and two individuals die from starvation or related diseases daily for every 10,000 in the population.
Last month, the IPC sounded the alarm that the entirety of Gaza is at risk of severe famine, while UN officials characterized the situation in northern Gaza as “apocalyptic,” indicating that residents face imminent threats from disease, famine, and violence.
Tragically, the volume of humanitarian aid entering Gaza has declined to its lowest level in the past year. Reports from the UN consistently accuse Israel of hampering efforts to deliver essential supplies, particularly in the northern regions. Strikingly, the average number of aid trucks that entered Gaza dwindled to roughly 58 per day in late October, a stark drop from about 200 per day in August and September, noted Jean-Martin Bauer from the UN World Food Programme.
According to the UN, nearly 70% of the casualties reported in the ongoing conflict in Gaza have been women and children, representing a troubling trend of disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations. This data, compiled over the first seven months of the conflict, has raised serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law.
This figure, which stands at 8,119 verified fatalities, significantly trails the over 43,000 reported by Palestinian health officials throughout 13 months of ongoing conflict. However, the UN’s breakdown—demonstrating that women and children comprise a major chunk of the lost lives—supports Palestinian claims regarding the civilian toll.
In response to these alarming indicators, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted the urgent need for accountability concerning violations of international law. “It is absolutely imperative that we meticulously collect and preserve all relevant evidence,” he stated.
The head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ajith Sunghay, explained that fatalities documented in their report were verified through multiple sources, including neighbors, family members, NGOs, hospital documentation, or UN personnel. “These numbers are astonishing relative to previous years, and we are still sorting through them,” he said, hinting at the likelihood that the final figures may align closely with those reported by Palestinian authorities.
The Israeli military maintains that it strives to minimize civilian casualties, asserting that for every fighter killed, roughly one civilian has died—an outcome they attribute to Hamas’s use of civilian buildings for military purposes. Conversely, Hamas has repeatedly rejected Israeli claims of exploiting civilians and infrastructure as cover for their operations.
The range of victims is heart-wrenching: from a one-day-old baby to a 97-year-old woman, the report revealed. Children under 14 accounted for a notable 44% of the casualties, with the largest age demographic being those aged five to nine, followed closely by those aged ten to fourteen, reflecting the prevailing age distribution in Gaza. These statistics suggest a significant failure to implement careful measures to safeguard civilians during military actions, pointing out that in 88% of reported incidents, five or more individuals were killed in a single attack.
Such statistics underscore the profound tragedy of the situation, underscoring the dire need for immediate interventions to avert an even greater humanitarian disaster.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
