IPC alert reports mounting evidence of widespread starvation and says ‘worst-case scenario’ is playing out
Middle East crisis – live updates
Famine is unfolding in Gaza, where Israeli restrictions on food aid and ongoing fighting have produced a “worst-case scenario”, UN-backed hunger experts have said, calling for immediate intervention to save lives.
“Mounting evidence shows widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths,” the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert said. “The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.”
This is the first time the IPC has said famine is under way in Gaza, although it has previously warned that the territory was on the brink. During nearly two years of war, Israel has repeatedly limited aid trucks reaching Gaza, sometimes halting aid shipments entirely.
