Failure and Famine

This summary of the coverage of famine in Gaza provides insight into the cliche that truth is often the first casualty of war. 

Addressing Famine

 UN World Food Programme  urges action now. Children are dying. Act now.

Urgent appeal. Famine is real. Donate and help us reach families on the edge of...

Famine confirmed in Gaza (Famine Is Confirmed in Gaza, n.d.)

UNICEF Canada issues Emergency Appeal and declares the Situation Is Urgent.

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Famine confirmed in Gaza City is 'failure of humanity', (Situation Is Urgent, n.d.)

BBC reports a UN-backed body confirms famine in Gaza Strip and surrounding areas, and says half a million are facing "catastrophic" conditions. The report indicates how Israel's policies created famine in Gaza. (UN-Backed Body Confirms Famine in Gaza, n.d.)

BBC reports Israel has systematically obstructed food entering Gaza, aid agencies say, as a UN-backed body confirms a famine. The famine in Gaza: 'A failure of humanity itself', says UN chief. (Israel Has Systematically Obstructed Food Entering Gaza, n.d.)

UN News on 2025/08 reports more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths, ...

Gaza City is officially in famine, with hunger spreading. (Half a Million People in Gaza Are Trapped in Famine, Marked by Widespread Starvation, n.d.)

Reuters reports that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine, and it will likely spread, a global hunger monitor determined on ..UN officially declares famine in Gaza, Netanyahu slams 'lie'. (UN Officially Declares Famine in Gaza, Netanyahu Slams 'Lie'., n.d.)

Le Monde.fr reports the IPC report says 'over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, ... ('Over Half a Million People in the Gaza Strip Are Facing Catastrophic Conditions, n.d.)

Al Jazeera declares two Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza in the past 24 hours, which also saw 71 people killed in Israeli attacks across the enclave, … Famine confirmed for first time in Gaza (Two Palestinians Have Starved to Death in Gaza in the Past 24 Hours, 2025)

World Health Organization (WHO) presents a Statement by Commissioner Lahbib on Gaza famine that more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths. (Half a Million People in Gaza Are Trapped in Famine, n.d.)

European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations reports famine is no longer a risk in Gaza. It is a reality. Children are dying from hunger and disease, while families are going days without food. UN-backed experts declare famine in and around Gaza City. (Lahbib, n.d.)

The Guardian reports that the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classication)  says famine is 'entirely man-made' and immediate response is needed or avoidable deaths will soar. (Fox, n.d.)

References

Famine is confirmed in Gaza. (n.d.). UN World Food Programme (WFP). Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.wfp.org/news/famine-confirmed-first-time-gaza 

Fox, J. (n.d.). IPC says famine is 'entirely man-made'. Latest news, sport and opinion from the Guardian. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/22/ipc-declares-famine-gaza-city 

half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine. (n.d.). World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.who.int/news/item/22-08-2025-famine-confirmed-for-first-time-in-gaza 

half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation. (n.d.). UN News | Global perspective Human stories. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165702 

Israel has systematically obstructed food entering Gaza. (n.d.). BBC Home - Breaking News, World News, US News, Sports, Business, Innovation, Climate, Culture, Travel, Video & Audio. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05ed5rgld3o 

Lahbib, C. (n.d.). Children are dying from hunger and disease. European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/news-stories/news/statement-com missioner-lahbib-gaza-famine-2025-08-22_en

'over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/08/22/un-declares-famine-in-gaza_6744612_4.html 

Situation Is Urgent. (n.d.). Donate to Help Children Around the World. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://secure.unicef.ca/ 

two Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza in the past 24 hours. (2025, August 22). Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/23/israeli-attacks-kill-37-in-gaza-as-more-palestinians-die-from-starvation 

UN-backed body confirms famine in Gaza. (n.d.). BBC Home - Breaking News, World News, US News, Sports, Business, Innovation, Climate, Culture, Travel, Video & Audio. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4p90z1kxo 

UN officially declares famine in Gaza, Netanyahu slams 'lie'. (n.d.). Reuters.com. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-city-officially-famine-with-hunger-spreading-says-global-hunger-monitor-2025-08-22/ 

Humanitarian Law and Severe Food Insecurity in Gaza

A fundamental objective of International Humanitarian Law is to reduce the death and suffering of civilian populations in the midst of war. In Gaza, Hussein Ibish, Arab Gulf States Institute, defines Hamas as a millenarian group, apocalyptic, believing a divine mandate with a religious imperative. Israel is understood to be a modern democracy with a rules based system of justice. Respect for International Humanitarian Law is expected of Israel and not a realistic expectation for Hamas.

Damage in Gaza

Jason Burke, in Jerusalem, writing for the Guardian, reports the finding of ‘utter annihilation’ in travel by a UNICEF representative in Gaza.

James Elder, a spokesperson with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), described the prospect of an attack into Rafah as “terrifying”.

“A military offensive in Rafah would be utterly catastrophic. The last remaining water points and hospitals [in Gaza] are there and there is nowhere else to go. Khan Younis, Gaza City barely exist any more,” he said. “Rafah is Gaza’s last hope and it is utterly bewildering that a conversation on a potential military operation is still continuing.” (Burke, n.d.)

On March 22,2024, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, met the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for talks aimed at ensuring more aid gets into Gaza, amid increasingly tense relations between the two allies over the war.

“One hundred per cent of the population of Gaza is experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity. We cannot, we must not allow that to continue,” Blinken told a news conference late on Thursday March 2, 2024. (Burke, n.d.)

Blinken is also expected to discuss Israel’s intention to launch a ground offensive on Rafah, where more than half of the population of Gaza is sheltering in makeshift accommodation.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to launch an attack into the city, which he says is the final stronghold of Hamas. The US president, Joe Biden, has said this would cross a “red line” for the US.

The war was triggered by a surprise attack into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, mostly civilians. More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli bombardments, mostly civilians, Gaza health authorities say. (Burke, n.d.)

 

Julian Borger in Washington, Lisa O'Carroll in Brussels and Peter Beaumont in London report, for the Guardian, that EU leaders call for ‘immediate humanitarian pause’ while the US is expected to bring a UN resolution calling for truce without delay.

The Biden administration has argued that an unconditional ceasefire would undermine leverage on Hamas to release its captives, seized during its 7 October attack on Israel, in which hundreds of civilians were killed. If the hostage talks in Doha fail however, the Biden administration will be faced with a dilemma: whether to continue to insist on the linkage between hostages and a ceasefire in the face of a clear warning this week from a UN panel of experts that a catastrophic famine in Gaza is imminent. At the UN, the French envoy, Nicolas de Rivière, said: “It’s time to save lives.”

“The death toll is around 32,000 men and women. It needs to stop now. This is why I will encourage the security council to take action before the end of the week, before the weekend,” de Rivière said. “Each time there is a crisis in the world, the first thing the security council is asking for a ceasefire, and then talks. This is what we have to do on Gaza as well. There should not be an exception.” 

The new text sends Israel the clearest message yet of the Biden administration’s growing frustration with its prosecution of the war, and comes after a warning from the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, that Israel may be committing a war crime by using “starvation as a method of war”. (Borger et al., n.d.)

UN experts and agencies are increasingly concerned that there will be severe famine in Gaza as a consequence of the rejection by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of efforts by the US, EU, and UN to create ceasefire conditions that will save civilian lives from death by starvation.

References

Borger, J., O'Carroll, L., & Beaumont, P. (n.d.). EU and US pile on pressure for Gaza ceasefire. the Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/21/eu-and-us-pile-on-pressure-for-gaza-ceasefire 

Burke, J. (n.d.). Unicef official tells of ‘utter annihilation’ after travelling length of Gaza. the Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/22/unicef-official-utter-annihilation-gaza