(Adnkronos) – For the first time, it has been confirmed that Gaza City is also affected by famine. This was indicated by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a body supported by the United Nations and an international reference point for monitoring food crises. The IPC has raised the rating for the Gaza governorate – which includes the city and surrounding areas – to Phase 5, the highest and most severe level on the food insecurity scale.
According to the 59-page report released today, more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip are in conditions characterized by “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity. Approximately 1.07 million people, or 54% of the population, face Phase 4 conditions, defined as an emergency. Between mid-August and the end of September 2025, almost a third of the population – about 641,000 people – is expected to be in catastrophic conditions, while the number of those facing emergency levels is expected to rise to 1.14 million.
The IPC points out that these figures are likely underestimated, as they do not include the hard-to-reach northern Gaza or the largely evacuated population remaining in Rafah.
The report warns that “catastrophic” conditions could extend by the end of September to Deir al-Balah, in the center of the Strip, and Khan Yunis, in the south. The food crisis has worsened since the end of the ceasefire in March with the Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid. Local health authorities report an increase in deaths from malnutrition and images coming from the Strip show suffering children and long lines in front of food distribution points.
The IPC does not formally declare a state of famine, but its assessments provide the basis for governments, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to issue official statements. The document insists that there should be “no doubt about the need for an immediate and large-scale response” and warns that “any further delay, even of a few days, will lead to an unacceptable escalation in famine-related mortality”.
