First-Ever Famine Declared in Gaza City by IPC
500,000 Facing Hunger and Deprivation Amid 22 Months of Conflict
Urgent Calls for Border Openings and Permanent Ceasefire
The International Rescue Committee is distributing daily necessities at the Khan Younis camp in Gaza Strip. International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC, Korea Representative Lee Eunyoung) on August 25 called for a swift and decisive response from the international community, as fatal hunger is rapidly spreading across the Gaza Strip.
The International Rescue Committee expressed deep shock and concern over the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) diagnosis on August 22, which for the first time ever declared famine in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip. The IRC stated, "Famine is no longer an impending threat but a horrific reality that has already materialized."
According to the IPC announcement, Gaza City has met all three criteria for the highest level of food crisis, 'famine': at least 20% of the population is experiencing extreme food shortages; the acute malnutrition rate among children under five exceeds 30%; and more than two people per 10,000 die each day from starvation, malnutrition, or disease. The IPC warned that, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza City for 22 months, more than 500,000 people are already facing hunger, deprivation, and death, and if the current situation continues, famine will spread even further by the end of September.
In response, the International Rescue Committee urged the international community to take emergency measures, including the immediate opening of all border crossings, guaranteeing safe and sustained humanitarian access throughout the Gaza Strip (especially in the north), and protecting civilians and releasing hostages through a permanent ceasefire.
David Miliband, President of the International Rescue Committee, said, "This IPC announcement is a grim testament to the failure to protect civilians and uphold international humanitarian law. Unless immediate and comprehensive humanitarian access and a ceasefire are achieved right now, more lives will be lost to hunger and disease. This is not a natural disaster, but a fully preventable man-made catastrophe."
Lee Eunyoung, Korea Representative of the International Rescue Committee, stated, "The IRC is ready to scale up its emergency response together with local and international partners, but without decisive action and active intervention from the international community, this tragedy cannot be averted. What is needed now is not just simple measures but a moral obligation, and a practical response that will protect civilians and fundamentally alleviate the crisis."
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that since the outbreak of the Gaza Strip war in October 2023, a total of 289 people have died from hunger and severe malnutrition, including 115 children. More than half of these deaths have occurred in the past three weeks, raising serious concerns about the accelerating spread of famine.
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