A United Nations program monitoring global hunger levels reported on Thursday that all 2.2 million residents of the Gaza Strip, which has been under severe Israeli aggression since October 7, are facing a high risk of acute food insecurity over the next six weeks, with the danger of famine increasing daily.
The "Integrated Food Security Phase Classification" (IPC) report, supported by the United Nations, which ranks hunger levels from 1 to 5, predicts that by February 7, in the "most likely scenario," all residents of the Gaza Strip will be at a level of hunger approaching "crisis or worse."
The report revealed that this is the highest proportion of individuals ever classified by the IPC as facing high levels of food insecurity, compared to any region or country.
Moreover, the report warned that around 50% of Gaza's population is expected to reach the "emergency" level by February 7, which includes increased rates of acute malnutrition and mortality.
The report also noted that "at least one in every four households," meaning more than half a million people, will face catastrophic conditions at "Phase 5."
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated rapidly since Israel began its assault on October 7 with heavy and indiscriminate shelling across wide areas of the territory.
International concern is growing for the inhabitants of Gaza who suffer from – in addition to daily bombings – shortages of food, water, fuel, and the resulting closure of most hospitals and the displacement of 1.9 million people from their homes and villages, according to the United Nations.
United Nations agencies continue to warn of the deep humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where half of the population is experiencing severe or acute hunger, with 90% of them being deprived of food for an entire day repeatedly, as stated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Trucks carrying aid from Egypt have delivered some food, water, and medicine, but the United Nations says the quantity of food amounts to only 10% of what the inhabitants of the enclave need, most of whom have been displaced.
