LONDON: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid to Gaza as a “moral outrage” on Friday after the world’s leading food crisis authority confirmed famine in Gaza City.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Friday that famine is occurring in the territory’s largest city, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and warned it could spread south to Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month.
“The confirmation of famine in Gaza City and the surrounding neighborhood is utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable,” Lammy said in a statement. “The Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage.”
The IPC determination comes after months of warnings by aid groups that Israel’s military campaign and restrictions on food, fuel and other essentials were causing acute starvation, especially among children.
“The IPC report makes clear the sickening consequences, especially for children,” Lammy said. “The Government of Israel can and must immediately act to stop the situation deteriorating any further. It must immediately and sustainably allow unhindered food, medical supplies, fuel, and all types of aid to reach those who so desperately need them.”
