Months of warnings fallen on deaf ears, famine now confirmed in Gaza: UNRWA chief

Months of warnings have fallen on deaf ears and famine is now a reality in Gaza, the chief of UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Friday, as a UN body of food security experts confirmed extreme scarcity of food in the enclave.

"Months of warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Famine is now confirmed in Gaza City," Philippe Lazzarini said on US social media company X.

"This is starvation by design and man-made by the Government of Israel. It is the direct result of banning food and other basic supplies for months including from UNRWA."

He stressed that the spread of famine could still be prevented if a ceasefire is reached and humanitarian organizations are allowed to deliver aid to starving civilians.

Earlier, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in Gaza City and nearby areas, projecting that it will spread further south by the end of September.

After 22 months of relentless conflict, the IPC said, over half a million Palestinians in the enclave are facing "starvation, destitution and death." Another 1.07 million people—over half the population—are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity.

Gaza City, the capital of Gaza Governorate, is one of the five governorates of the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed over 62,000 Palestinians since October 2023.