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The Gaza Strip is experiencing a severe famine as a result of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. The famine was caused by Israeli airstrikes destroying food infrastructure, such as bakeries and flour mills, and a widespread scarcity of essential supplies. The result has left over half a million Gazans on the brink of starvation. The situation is compounded by accusations of Israel using starvation as a method of warfare. The limited entry of aid trucks has exacerbated the famine, prompting experts to label it as one of the worst instances of man-made starvation in nearly a century.

Start of crisis

External videos
video icon Emily "Cali" Callahan, an American nurse who worked in Gaza for Doctors Without Borders until early November, describes the humanitarian situation in Gaza to CNN's Anderson Cooper[1][2]

On 18 October, Alia Zaki, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme stated that "people are at the risk of starvation".[3] On 21 October, the UN released a statement saying food stocks were "nearly exhausted".[4] Cindy McCain, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, stated people were "literally starving to death as we speak".[5]

On 27 October, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme stated food and other basic supplies were "running out".[6] On 3 November, UN officials stated the average Gazan diet consisted of only two pieces of bread per day.[7] ActionAid stated more than half a million Gazans faced death by starvation.[8] On 11 November, Corinne Fleischer, Middle East regional director of the World Food Programme, stated, "hundreds of people are queueing for hours every day to get bread rations at bakeries," as people were being pushed "closer to starvation."[9]

Airstrikes on infrastructure

On 18 October, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a bakery in the Nuseirat Camp, killing four bakers.[3] On X, Refaat Alareer wrote the bakery was one of the last in the central and southern Gaza Strip.[10] On 19 October, several more bakeries were reportedly hit by Israeli airstrikes.[11] By 24 October, many bakeries had reportedly closed down, while those still open had hours-long lines.[12] By 28 October Israeli airstrikes had destroyed a fifth of the bakeries operating in the Strip.[13][14] On 1 November, Israel bombed one of the last remaining bakeries in Gaza City.[15] On 2 November, UNOCHA stated more than half of all bakeries in Gaza had been destroyed.[16] On 8 November, UNOCHA stated northern Gaza no longer had any functioning bakeries.[17]

Growing threat of famine

Cindy McCain stated on 17 November that civilians faced the immediate possibility of starvation.[18] Ten days later, McCain stated Gaza was on the brink of famine.[19] Begging for food became the "new norm."[20] On 7 December, the WFP stated 97% of households had inadequate food consumption and 83% in southern Gaza were surviving through "extreme consumption strategies."[21] By 10 December, the UN, international aid organizations, and relief workers in Gaza warned of mass starvation.[22] A representative for Medical Aid for Palestinians stated, "The hunger wars have started."[23] On 15 December, the United Nations estimated nine out of ten residents were not eating food every day.[24]

On 20 December, the United Nations stated people in Gaza were experiencing "alarming levels of hunger never before witnessed in Gaza".[25] On 21 December, the United Nations stated more than half a million people in the Gaza Strip were starving.[26] An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report placed the entire population of Gaza at IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse) with 79 percent in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) or Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5).[27] On 22 December, UNICEF warned of the increasingly growing threat of famine in the Gaza Strip.[28] On 29 December, Mercy Corps stated half a million people faced "catastrophic hunger and starvation".[29] By 1 January 2024 ninety percent of Palestinians in Gaza regularly went without food.[30]

Famine

On 3 January 2024, Arif Husain, the chief economist at the World Food Programme, stated 80 percent of all people in the world experiencing famine or catastrophic hunger were in the Gaza Strip, stating, "In my life, I’ve never seen anything like this in terms of severity".[31] Food prices rose in Gaza as food stock ran out.[32] On 9 January, Gisha reported that only 6,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza since 7 October, the equivalent of twelve days of aid before the conflict's start.[33] Experts warned that the famine in the Gaza Strip was the worst instance of man-made starvation in nearly 100 years.[34] On 14 January, Philippe Lazzarini stated, "Whenever you go to a school, the kids are looking at your eyes begging for a sip of water or a loaf of bread."[35] Antonio Guterres stated, "The long shadow of starvation is stalking the people of Gaza".[36]

Accusations of war crimes

On 18 December, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of "using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip".[37]

References

  1. ^ "Gaza: Krankenschwester aus den USA berichtet von »massiven Verbrennungen« bei Kindern". Der Spiegel (in German). 2023-11-08. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  2. ^ Why an American nurse who got out of Gaza says she would go back, 2023-11-08, archived from the original on 2023-11-10, retrieved 2023-11-10
  3. ^ a b Jobain, Najib; Debre, Isabel; Lee, Matthew (18 October 2023). "Gaza's doctors struggle to save hospital blast survivors as Middle East rage grows". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  4. ^ "UN update on humanitarian needs after 'limited shipment'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  5. ^ Srivastava, Mehul; Khaled, Mai; Saleh, Heba (21 October 2023). "Small aid convoy reaches Gaza after Hamas releases two hostages". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ^ "'Running out': People of Gaza going hungry: UN". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  7. ^ Lederer, Edith (4 November 2023). "UN official says the average Gazan is living on two pieces of bread a day, and people need water". AP News. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  8. ^ Reals, Tucker (8 November 2023). "Israel-Hamas war leaves thousands of Palestinians in Gaza facing "death by starvation," aid group warns". CBS News. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  9. ^ "'Heart-wrenching': UN food agency warns of starvation in Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. ^ Alareer, Refaat [@itranslate123] (17 October 2023). "Breaking: Israel has hit one of the last functioning bakeries in the Middle/Southern parts of the Gaza Strip, Nuseirat area. Several reported killed and injured in the massacre. This is where Israel wants people to move to" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Jobain, Najib; Kullab, Samya; Nessman, Ravi (19 October 2023). "Palestinians trapped in Gaza find nowhere is safe during Israel's relentless bombing". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Buying bread a struggle for Gaza residents". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  13. ^ Ahmed, Kaamil; Morresi, Elena (28 October 2023). "Airstrikes on Gaza bakeries add to 'catastrophic' food shortages". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  14. ^ Tareq S. Haijaj, 'They let humanitarian aid in. Then they bombed it so that Gaza would starve,' Archived 2023-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Mondoweiss 26 October 2023.
  15. ^ ElSayed, Youmna. "Bakery near al-Shifa Hospital hit in Israeli bombardment". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Eleven bakeries destroyed, only nine remain: UN relief agency". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  17. ^ Reals, Tucker (8 November 2023). "Israel-Hamas war leaves thousands of Palestinians in Gaza facing "death by starvation," aid group warns". CBS News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  18. ^ Vinall, Frances. "'Immediate possibility of starvation' in Gaza, World Food Program says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  19. ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (26 November 2023). "Cindy McCain says Gaza 'on the brink of famine'". The Hill. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  20. ^ Berger, Miriam. "Aid is trickling in, but Gaza still grows hungrier". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  21. ^ Isaac, Lindsay (7 December 2023). "Gaza experiencing "alarming levels" of hunger, UN agency warns". CNN. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  22. ^ Balousha, Hazem. "Aid groups warn of starvation in Gaza after U.S. vetoes cease-fire call". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  23. ^ DeBre, Isabel (8 December 2023). "Bloodshed, fear, hunger, desperation: Palestinians try to survive war's new chapter in southern Gaza". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  24. ^ Ables, Kelsey. "A hunger Gazans have 'never, ever' experienced grows in the territory". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  25. ^ Jobain, Najib (16 December 2023). "Netanyahu Says Israel 'Committed As Ever' To War After Israel Mistakenly Kills Hostages". HuffPost. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  26. ^ Jobain, Najib (21 December 2023). "UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are starving because of war". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  27. ^ "FAO expresses deep alarm over acute hunger in the Gaza Strip". ReliefWeb. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Statement by UNICEF on the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip". UNICEF. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  29. ^ "International aid group warns of famine, disease spreading among Palestinians in Gaza". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  30. ^ Stack, Liam; Gupta, Gaya; Abu Bakr, Bashir (January 2024). "Half of Gazans Are at Risk of Starving, U.N. Warns". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  31. ^ Chotiner, Isaac (3 January 2024). "Gaza Is Starving". The New Yorker. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  32. ^ "Action Against Hunger calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza". ReliefWeb. Action Against Hunger. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Just 6,000 aid trucks enter Gaza over past three months: Israeli group". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  34. ^ Nolen, Stephanie. "Looming Starvation in Gaza Shows Resurgence of Civilian Sieges in Warfare". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  35. ^ Weiss, Mark. "Israel-Gaza war: Thousands take part in solidarity strike with hostages as fighting continues". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  36. ^ Guterres, António. "Secretary-General's statement to the press on the Middle East". United Nations. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza". Human Rights Watch. 18 December 2023.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gaza_Strip_famine&oldid=1196245586