Gaza: The World’s Worst Hunger Crisis
The Gaza Strip is facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with escalating hostilities, including bombardment and ground operations, exacerbating acute food insecurity to catastrophic levels. Between November and December 2023, over 90 percent of the population, roughly 2.08 million people, experienced high levels of food insecurity, with over 40 percent in Emergency (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4) and over 15 percent in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). In the projected period, between December 8, 2023, and February 7, 2024, the entire population of the Gaza Strip, around 2.2 million people, faces acute food insecurity and is classified in IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse), This is the highest percentage of people facing severe food shortages ever recorded by the IPC initiative for any area or country. Among them, approximately 50 percent (1.17 million people) are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and more than half a million people, or one in four households, are in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), experiencing extreme food shortages and depleted coping mechanisms. (Note: A famine is assessed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) which is a collaborative initiative involving more than a dozen United Nations agencies, regional bodies, and aid groups.)
The Gaza Health Ministry reported on March 6 that at least 20 people have died of malnutrition in hospitals, with "dozens dying silently" as unable to reach medical facilities. The World Health Organization visited northern Gaza in early March and confirmed at least 10 child deaths due to starvation during their visit.
Hunger As a Weapon of War
Three senior United Nations officials have alerted the Security Council to the looming threat of famine in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the urgent need for action to prevent a humanitarian disaster. Many Council members alleged the use of hunger as a weapon of war. At least 576,000 people in Gaza - one-quarter of the population - are one step from famine, a senior U.N. aid official warned. Escalating hostilities have pushed acute food insecurity to catastrophic levels, with over 90% of the population affected in late 2023. Urgent action is needed to prevent widespread famine. Rajasingham, coordination director of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, emphasized the challenges aid groups face in delivering supplies, including crossing closures and damaged infrastructure.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Describing the challenges of aid entering the territory, he mentioned the humanitarian crisis as a "manmade" disaster. A Spanish ship reached the Gaza strip carrying 200 tons of food and water, testing a new sea route for increasing aid to a region facing famine. The UN emphasizes that maritime aid delivery can't replace land delivery of aid. Israeli restrictions on land routes severely limit aid access, with only a fraction of necessary supplies getting through. Borrell emphasized the need for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza, highlighting that the crisis is a result of closed land routes. He called for action, stating that the EU is working to make aid delivery possible, likening the situation to that in Ukraine and urging for similar condemnation of the use of starvation in Gaza.
Mounting Challenges in Aid Delivery
Five months into the conflict, Gaza is facing a deficit of at least half a million tons of supplies, including food and medical items. The region relied heavily on aid imports before the war, with around 500 trucks entering Gaza daily, some capable of carrying over 25 tons. However, since late October, the number of trucks entering the Strip has dropped to roughly a third of its prewar average. Trucks entering Gaza since October 7 have carried an average of 15 tons of aid, according to data provided separately by the Israeli government and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The prewar daily average weight of goods on working days was about 7,500 tons. Although the checkpoints are now open every day of the week, the volume of supplies appears to have fallen to roughly 1,500 tons a day.
The delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza has been severely hindered by logistical challenges, a breakdown of public order, and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by Israel. The World Food Programme, previously halted in Gaza due to security concerns, had its first convoy to the north in two weeks forced to turn back by the military on March 6. The UN described aid access as "unpredictable and insufficient," due to military operations, insecurity, and restrictions on essential supplies. Challenges include border closures, movement restrictions, access denials, cumbersome vetting procedures, security risks, incidents by civilians, law and order breakdown, and communication and equipment restrictions.
In response to the current situation, several countries, including the United States, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, conducted airdrops. However, aid agencies criticized these airdrops as costly and ineffective. On March 8, five people died and several were injured when a parachute failed to open during a humanitarian airdrop, causing the pallet to crash into a crowd north of Gaza City's Shati refugee camp. The Hamas-run Gaza government media office described the airdrops as "futile" and not the best way for aid to enter.
In the face of dire humanitarian circumstances in Gaza, exacerbated by escalating hostilities and logistical challenges, urgent action is imperative to prevent a catastrophic famine. The combined efforts of international organizations, governments, and aid agencies are crucial in providing essential assistance to the vulnerable population. International pressure and immediate action are necessary to prevent further loss of life. The world cannot stand idly by as a preventable humanitarian disaster unfolds.