UN Chief Once Again Warns of Severe Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has once again expressed deep concerns regarding the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in the blockaded Gaza Strip, noting that “four out of five of the most undernourished individuals anywhere in the world” are located in Gaza.

The World Food Programme has disclosed that half of Gaza’s populace is currently grappling with starvation, enduring entire days without access to food.

A report endorsed by the United Nations and conducted by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) underscores that the entire Gaza population is confronting a severe food crisis, with 576,600 individuals at levels classified as catastrophic or reaching the brink of starvation.

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The report issues a stark warning of a potential famine outbreak if the present conditions persist, underscoring the imperative need for an end to hostilities and the creation of humanitarian space to deliver aid and reinstate essential services.

According to research conducted by the human rights organization Euro-Med Monitor, a staggering 71% of Gaza’s population is grappling with acute hunger, resorting to consuming inadequate amounts of food, grass, fruits, immature food, and expired substances to alleviate their hunger.

The study also underscores a drastic decline in access to water in Gaza, leading to health concerns such as diarrhea and skin rashes. The death toll in Gaza has surged to 20,258, disproportionately affecting women and children.

The ongoing conflict has displaced an estimated 1.9 million individuals out of Gaza’s total population of 2.3 million, according to UN estimates. Guterres underscores the urgency of addressing the worsening health, nutrition, food security, and mortality conditions to avert the looming threat of famine.