Famine now unfolding in Gaza: UN report

New Delhi, Jul 29: The Gaza Strip is now experiencing a worst-case famine scenario, according to a stark alert issued by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report cites mounting evidence of widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease, which are driving a growing number of hunger-related deaths across the enclave, reports BBC.

The warning comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to hold an emergency cabinet meeting on the crisis, amid rising international calls for Britain to recognise Palestinian statehood and respond more decisively to the humanitarian catastrophe.

Despite recent steps by Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, major aid agencies say the efforts fall far short of what is needed. They are calling for the immediate reopening of all border crossings to allow unhindered humanitarian access.

In response to the IPC's declaration, the heads of key UN agencies issued an urgent appeal for action. World Food Programme (WFP) executive director Cindy McCain described it as "unconscionable" to wait for formal confirmation of famine before delivering desperately needed food supplies. She called for an immediate and sustained scale-up of aid deliveries to avert further mass starvation. UNICEF chief Catherine Russell echoed the alarm, stating that children and infants in Gaza are already dying from preventable malnutrition. She emphasised the need for immediate, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to deliver food, water, and medicine. Without such access, she warned, families would remain powerless in the face of avoidable tragedy, reports BBC. The IPC report and UN statements mark a critical turning point in the Gaza crisis, intensifying global scrutiny and calls for action to avert further loss of life.