Key Highlights:
- Gaza Famine Crisis officially confirmed in Gaza Governorate by UN experts, with conditions expected to expand to southern regions by end of September 2025
- Over 500,000 people currently trapped in Gaza Famine Crisis conditions marked by starvation, destitution and preventable deaths
- 132,000 children under age five at risk of acute malnutrition, with 313 total hunger-related deaths including 119 children during the war
Official Famine Declaration Marks Unprecedented Gaza Famine Crisis
The United Nations has officially confirmed the first famine declaration in Gaza, marking a devastating milestone in what humanitarian experts describe as an entirely preventable, man-made Gaza Famine Crisis. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, endorsed by dozens of governments and UN agencies, declared famine conditions in Gaza Governorate as of August 15, 2025, with reasonable evidence supporting this critical designation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres characterized the Gaza Famine Crisis as “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself”. The IPC analysis reveals that over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, destitution and death, while an additional 1.07 million people are experiencing Emergency levels of food insecurity.
The Gaza Famine Crisis is projected to expand from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates by the end of September 2025. By that time, more than 640,000 people – nearly one-third of Gaza’s population – are expected to face catastrophic conditions classified as IPC Phase 5, the most severe classification on the international food security scale.
Gaza Famine Crisis conditions have emerged after 22 months of relentless conflict, with humanitarian agencies consistently warning about escalating hunger-related deaths and rapidly worsening levels of acute malnutrition across the enclave.
Devastating Impact on Children and Vulnerable Populations
- Children bear the heaviest burden, with 132,000 children aged 6 to 59 months projected to suffer from acute malnutrition through June 2026
- Severe acute malnutrition cases among children have more than doubled since May 2025 estimates
The Gaza Famine Crisis has created catastrophic conditions for children, with official data revealing the scale of suffering among the most vulnerable populations. According to UNICEF-supported nutrition centers, 132,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, including 41,000 severe cases requiring immediate medical intervention.civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.
Between January and June 2025, at least 19,089 children aged 6 to 59 months were admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition – an average of over 100 children per day. The number of children requiring treatment for malnutrition has surged dramatically, with 5,119 children admitted in May 2025 alone, representing a 50% increase from April and a 150% increase from February.
Gaza Famine Crisis conditions have led to 313 total hunger-related deaths during the war, including 119 children. In July 2025 alone, 63 malnutrition-related deaths occurred, including 24 children under five. Most victims arrived at health facilities already deceased or died shortly after arrival, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.news.un+1
Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, with Global Acute Malnutrition rates tripling since June 2025. An additional 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women and 25,000 infants require urgent nutrition support to survive the ongoing Gaza Famine Crisis.
| Metric | Number/Value | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number facing famine/starvation | Over 500,000 people | UN IPC/FAO/UNICEF/WHO/WFP | August 2025 |
| Number of children at risk of acute malnutrition | 132,000 children under 5 | IPC/UNICEF/WHO | August 2025 |
| Number of malnutrition-related child deaths | 119 children died from hunger-related causes | UN Ministry of Health/Gaza | August 2025 |
| Number of people in IPC Phase 4 Emergency | 1.07 million (54%) | IPC report | August 2025 |
| Percentage of population facing catastrophic food insecurity | ~30% (~641,000 people) | IPC report | August 2025 |
Population Facing Food Insecurity Levels in Gaza in 2025
Systematic Destruction of Food Security Infrastructure
- Essential services have collapsed, with 70% of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed during the conflict
- Food distribution systems have been systematically disrupted, limiting humanitarian access to starving populations
The Gaza Famine Crisis represents what UN officials describe as “the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival”. Relentless conflict has destroyed critical infrastructure necessary for food production, distribution, and basic survival throughout the Gaza Strip.
Severe limitations on humanitarian aid delivery and distribution have created desperate conditions across all areas of Gaza. The World Food Programme reports that over 1,800 trucks have been dispatched to reach starving civilians since border crossings reopened on May 21, 2025, but this represents only a fraction of what a population of over 2 million people need to survive.
Gaza Famine Crisis conditions persist despite having food, experienced humanitarian teams, and proven distribution systems available to respond at scale. The collapse of essential services, combined with ongoing military operations, has created barriers preventing life-saving aid from reaching those most in need.
Market systems throughout Gaza have been decimated, with store shelves remaining empty and families going days without access to food or clean water. More than one in three people are now going days at a time without eating, creating the starvation conditions that define the Gaza Famine Crisis classification.
International Response and Future Projections
- All UN Security Council members except the United States issued joint statement supporting IPC findings and calling for immediate ceasefire
- Israel disputes famine classification and demands retraction from international monitoring system
The international community has responded with unprecedented urgency to the Gaza Famine Crisis declaration, though political divisions continue to complicate humanitarian response efforts. Fourteen UN Security Council members issued a joint statement supporting the IPC findings and calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” to address the crisis.
Israel has rejected the Gaza Famine Crisis classification, with Foreign Ministry officials calling the IPC report “deeply flawed, unprofessional, and gravely missing the standards expected from an international body”. Israeli authorities continue to dispute the existence of starvation conditions while maintaining restrictions on humanitarian aid access.
Gaza Famine Crisis projections indicate that conditions will continue deteriorating without immediate intervention. The IPC estimates that by the end of September 2025, more than 640,000 people will face catastrophic conditions, while over 1.14 million people will experience emergency levels of food insecurity.
UN humanitarian officials emphasize that the Gaza Famine Crisis remains entirely preventable, calling for immediate action to prevent an “unacceptable increase” in deaths related to hunger and malnutrition. Without substantial changes to aid access and conflict dynamics, the Gaza Famine Crisis is expected to become one of the worst humanitarian crises of the modern era.
Closing Assessment
The Gaza Famine Crisis represents an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe that has evolved from a preventable crisis into a confirmed famine affecting over half a million people. With 132,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition and hundreds already dying from hunger-related causes, the Gaza Famine Crisis stands as what UN officials describe as a complete failure of international humanitarian protection systems.
The expansion of Gaza Famine Crisis conditions from Gaza Governorate to southern regions by September’s end will likely affect nearly one-third of the entire population, creating survival challenges that could persist long beyond any eventual ceasefire. As the Gaza Famine Crisis continues claiming lives daily, the international community faces mounting pressure to overcome political divisions and implement immediate, large-scale humanitarian intervention before conditions deteriorate further.
