Gaza faces "catastrophic" famine with 93% of population in crisis, aid groups say
By isabelle // 2025-05-13
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  • Gaza faces imminent famine, with 477,000 people in catastrophic hunger and 93% of the population suffering severe food insecurity due to Israel’s blockade.
  • UN officials describe the crisis as "beyond terrifying," with 930,000 children at critical risk and 11,000 cases of acute malnutrition reported since January.
  • Israel’s blockade has prevented 116,000 metric tons of food from entering Gaza, leaving families starving while aid sits unused at the border.
  • Gaza’s food production is decimated—75% of farmland is destroyed, and basic goods like flour now cost 40 times their pre-war price.
  • The U.S. faces criticism for funding Israel’s military campaign while failing to secure meaningful aid, as experts warn famine will be irreversible if action is delayed.
Gaza is on the verge of famine, with nearly half a million people facing starvation and 93% of its population enduring severe food insecurity, according to a dire new report from the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The crisis, described as "beyond terrifying" by UN officials, is the direct result of Israel’s ongoing blockade, which has choked off food, medicine, and humanitarian aid for months. As the world watches, the U.S. continues to fund Israel’s military campaign while innocent civilians, including 930,000 children, are left to starve.

A manmade catastrophe

The IPC’s latest analysis, released Monday, reveals that 477,000 Gazans, or 22% of the population, are now in "catastrophic" hunger, the highest classification level, while another 1 million face "emergency" conditions. The report warns that famine is "imminent" if Israel’s siege persists, with children bearing the brunt of the suffering. Save the Children reports that 93% of Gaza’s children are at critical risk, while UNICEF has treated 11,000 cases of acute malnutrition since January. "This is not incidental—it is deliberate, entirely engineered," said Mahmoud Alsaqqa, Oxfam’s food security coordinator. "Gaza now has the largest population facing starvation anywhere in the world."

Israel’s weaponized blockade

Since March 2, Israel has enforced a near-total blockade, preventing food, water, and medical supplies from entering Gaza. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 116,000 metric tons of food, enough to feed a million people for four months, are stranded at the border. Cindy McCain, WFP’s executive director, stated plainly: "Families in Gaza are starving while the food they need is sitting at the border." Israel claims the blockade pressures Hamas to release hostages, but humanitarian agencies accuse the government of using starvation as a weapon. "Turning aid into a tool of control endangers civilians, erodes the neutrality of humanitarian work," Alsaqqa said. Despite international condemnation, including from Pope Leo XIV and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin—who called the blockade a "war crime"—Israel has doubled down, proposing an aid distribution system that the IPC deems "highly insufficient."

Collapsing infrastructure, vanishing food

Gaza’s local food production has been decimated by Israel’s bombardment and restrictions. Over 75% of farmland is destroyed, and communal kitchens—now the primary food source for most people—are shutting down due to shortages. The AP documented scenes of thousands lining up for hours for meager rations, often leaving empty-handed. "We end up waiting in line for four, five hours, in the sun. It is exhausting,” said Riham Sheikh el-Eid, a mother in Khan Younis. Prices for basic goods have skyrocketed. A 2-kg sack of flour, once 25 shekels, now costs 1,000 shekels ($281). Ghada Mohammad, a mother of five, told Reuters her family survives on insect-infested flour and canned food: "Do you know how it feels to be unable to have one meal with some chicken or vegetables or meat for several weeks?" The U.S. has faced mounting criticism for its unwavering support of Israel despite evidence of war crimes. While the U.S. claims to be negotiating a new aid mechanism, no timeline exists, and the UN refuses to participate in Israel’s politicized distribution plan. "Silence in the face of this man-made starvation is complicity," Alsaqqa said.

A preventable disaster

Gaza’s suffering is not an accident; it is the direct result of Israel’s calculated siege and the international community’s failure to act. With 2.1 million lives hanging in the balance, the world must demand an immediate end to the blockade. If not, history will remember this moment as one of unforgivable neglect. As the IPC concludes: "If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for many people." Sources for this article include: MiddleEastEye.net Reuters.com APNews.com BBC.com
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