Al-Arabiya News reported on the front page that the United Nations has declared a famine in the Gaza Strip. A severe crisis, this is the first confirmed famine in the Middle East, with 500,000 people facing catastrophic hunger.
Volker Turk stated that deaths from hunger could constitute a war crime, and Israel's blockade of aid was condemned.
The United Nations officially declared a famine in the Gaza Strip on Friday, which is the first time this has happened in the Middle East, and experts warned that 500,000 people are facing "catastrophic" hunger.
Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, "This is a famine: the famine in Gaza." Because the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) group found that famine has now occurred in Gaza City and its surrounding areas. He accused Israel of "intentionally blocking" the delivery of aid supplies to the war-torn Palestinian territories.
Famine assessments are conducted by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), an alliance of monitoring agencies commissioned by the United Nations, responsible for warning about impending crises. It defines famine as occurring when 20% of households have extreme food shortages; 30% of children under five suffer from severe malnutrition; and at least two people per 10,000 die daily from direct hunger or malnutrition.
UN agencies have long been warning about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, especially as Israel intensifies its attacks on Hamas.
The Rome-based IPC stated: "As of August 15, 2025, a famine (IPC Phase 5) has been confirmed in the Gaza Strip, and there is reasonable evidence." The United Nations estimates that nearly 1 million people currently live in the Gaza Strip.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841199848363072/
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