Famine Declared in Gaza: Residents Detail Catastrophic Hunger Crisis

A UN-backed report has officially declared famine in Gaza City and its surrounding areas, marking the first time such a critical assessment has been made for the territory. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that over half a million people across the Gaza Strip are now facing “catastrophic” conditions, characterized by “starvation, destitution, and death,” labeling the crisis as “entirely man-made.”

Residents are sharing harrowing accounts of the severe hunger impacting their daily lives. Reem Tawfiq Khader, a 41-year-old mother of five from Gaza City, expressed the grim reality: “The declaration of famine came too late, but it is still important. We haven’t eaten any protein for five months. My youngest child is four years old – he doesn’t know what fruit and vegetables look or taste like.”

Another resident, Rajaa Talbeh, 47, a mother of six, recounted losing 25kg (55lbs) and struggling with gluten intolerance amid the scarcity. Displaced from Gaza City’s Zeitoun district, she now lives in a makeshift tent, unable to find or afford essential dietary items. “Isn’t it enough to face daily bombardment, displacement and living in a tent… and now famine on top of it?” she stated.

The crisis is severely affecting children, with Rida Hijeh, 29, reporting her five-year-old daughter Lamia’s weight plummeting from 19kg (42lbs) to 10.5kg (23lbs). Lamia, once healthy, now suffers from leg swelling, thinning hair, and nerve problems due to severe malnutrition. Doctors confirmed her condition but could offer no treatment or support.

The UN states that Israel has heavily restricted aid entry into Gaza, a claim Israel denies. Israel also disputes the existence of starvation, contradicting the assessments of over 100 humanitarian groups, multiple UN bodies, and eyewitnesses on the ground, who describe a dire humanitarian catastrophe exacerbated by aid blockades and ongoing conflict.

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