The world's top authority on food crises warned Tuesday that the Gaza Strip is already facing a worst-case famine scenario, predicting "widespread deaths" unless immediate action is taken.
The alert, still short of a formal famine declaration, follows an outcry over images of emaciated children in Gaza and reports of dozens of hunger-related deaths after nearly 22 months of war.
The international pressure led Israel over the weekend to announce measures, including daily humanitarian pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza and airdrops.
The United Nations and Palestinians on the ground say little has changed and desperate crowds continue to overwhelm and unload delivery trucks before they can reach their destinations.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said Gaza has teetered on the brink of famine for two years but recent developments have "dramatically worsened" the situation, including "increasingly stringent blockades" by Israel.
