Entire Population in Gaza at Critical Risk of Famine, with Half a Million Palestinians Facing Starvation: IPC

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Gaza’s entire population continues to face a critical risk of famine, with half a million people facing starvation, according to a global hunger monitoring system, as Israel’s total blockade enters its third month amid relentless bombardment.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s main crossings, halting the flow of food, medical aid, fuel, and other critical humanitarian supplies. This blockade has resulted in a severe and unprecedented decline in living conditions. Human rights organizations have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against the Palestinians.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of humanitarian catastrophe, with the enclave on the brink of “full-scale famine conditions.”

In a new assessment published on Monday, the Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) Classification described the findings as major deterioration since its last assessment in October.

The latest report analysed a period from April 1 to May 10 this year and gave projections of the situation until the end of September, according to a summary of its key findings.

According to the report, the entire population in Gaza is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.

From 11 May to the end of September 2025, the whole territory is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), with the entire population expected to face Crisis or worse acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).

This includes 470,000 people (22 percent of the population) in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), over a million people (54 percent) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and the remaining half million (24 percent) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).

The report said that this marks a significant deterioration compared to the previous IPC analysis (released in October 2024) and the already dire conditions detected between 1 April – 10 May 2025. During this time, 1.95 million people (93 percent) were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 244,000 people (12 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).

Between 1 April and 10 May, acute malnutrition (AMN) was at Alert and Serious levels (IPC AMN Phase 2 and 3). However, experience has shown that acute malnutrition can worsen rapidly, and latest data indicate a deteriorating trend that is expected to persist. Consequently, acute malnutrition in North Gaza, Gaza and Rafah will likely reach Critical levels (IPC AMN Phase 4) between 11 May and end of September.

Between mid-January and mid-March 2025, the ceasefire allowed a temporary alleviation of acute food insecurity and malnutrition conditions in parts of the Gaza Strip, it noted. However, the ongoing blockade imposed in early March reversed the situation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet approved last week plans to expand the genocide in Gaza with officials suggesting that the plans include the “conquest” and full military occupation of the entire Gaza Strip.

The plans will also put the Israeli military in charge of food and other vital supplies to the 2.3 million people suffering under its blockade of the Palestinian territory. Israel reportedly plans to use US security contractors to control the flow of aid into Gaza.

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), a forum that includes United Nations agencies, said in response that Israeli officials were seeking its consent to deliver aid through what it described as “Israeli hubs under conditions set by the Israeli military, once the government agrees to re-open crossings”.

In a statement, the HCT said such a plan would be dangerous and would “contravene fundamental humanitarian principles and appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy”.

The new plan would dismantle the existing UN-run distribution system. It would give the Israeli military control over aid flows and create “militarized zones” where Palestinians would be forced to collect food and supplies.

According to the IPC report, the plan announced on 5 May for delivering aid is “estimated to be highly insufficient to meet the population’s essential needs for food, water, shelter and medicine.”

Moreover, the proposed distribution mechanisms are likely to “create significant access barriers for large segments of the population.”

In light of the announced Israeli plans, the IPC said there is a “high risk that Famine (IPC Phase 5) will occur in the projection period (11 May – 30 September). The latest announcements suggest that this worst-case scenario is becoming more likely.”

“Surviving on Less Than a Meal a Day” as Suffering Deepens Under Israel’s Blockade

Muslim in Need (MiN), a UK-based charitable organization providing vital aid in Gaza, told Quds News Network that a growing number of people are turning to its Gaza office in urgent need of essential supplies and support.

“It’s never easy to witness people suffering and starving. They lack everything,” said Sufyan M, Gaza programme coordinator at MiN, speaking about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the enclave

“Children need diapers, baby formula, milk—everything. People are in desperate need of food, vegetables, water and even basic hygiene supplies, which are unavailable,” he said.

“This adds immense pressure and psychological strain on parents. How can they possibly secure their children’s basic needs?”

He noted that MiN is running low on staples due to the crippling blockade.

“This may be the last week we can distribute rice at our community kitchen,” he added, explaining that Palestinians, who were already struggling to access protein, are now facing even greater deprivation.

He said that hundreds of thousands of people have been flooding into their community kitchen in Gaza, desperately seeking even a small amount of rice, beans, or pasta. “The kitchen that feeds thousands could be shut down within days,” he warned, adding distributing water has also been difficult due to the lack of fuel.

Sufyan highlighted that aid trucks belonging to MiN have been lined up at the border, along with thousands of others, prevented from entering the enclave to deliver much-needed assistance.

“One mother told us that she sacrifices her own meals so that there’s enough food for her children, ensuring they don’t go hungry,” Sufyan said.

A little girl told the MiN team in Gaza: “If the community kitchen shuts down, we will have nothing to eat.”

Silent Death

In addition to the relentless toll of deaths from ongoing Israeli bombardment, a silent death is claiming the lives of Gaza’s elderly, children, and patients—brought on by starvation, extreme suffering, lack of medical care, and the imposition of a total blockade that has now entered its third consecutive month.

At least 57 people have died from malnutrition in Gaza since the start of the Israeli genocide in October 2023, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

In the past week alone, 14 elderly Palestinians have been documented to have died across Gaza from complications related to hunger, malnutrition, and the lack of medical care, as reported by the Euro-Med Monitor this week.

The Media Office in Gaza confirmed that the number of deaths from malnutrition is expected to increase as the crossings into Gaza remain closed and the entry of aid, baby formula and nutritional supplements have been prevented by Israel.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of humanitarian catastrophe, with the enclave on the brink of “full-scale famine conditions.”

Last week, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for the Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said the Israeli siege is collectively punishing children, women, older people and men in Gaza.

In a new assessment published on Monday, the Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) Classification said Gaza’s entire population continues to face a critical risk of famine, with half a million people facing starvation.

Children in the enclave have not only faced relentless bombardment, but are also being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

“With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death – nothing can justify this,” Russell said. “The sea they used for fishing has been restricted. Bakeries are closing, water production is declining, and market shelves are almost bare.”

In the past month, she said, families have been forced to choose between showering, cleaning, and cooking as access to water is quickly deteriorating. Vaccines are also running out, Russell warned, and diseases are spreading rapidly.

“Malnutrition is also on the rise,” she said, adding that more than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the start of the year.

Lately, Dr. Munir al-Bursh, the General Director of the Health Ministry, announced that Gaza has entered the fifth phase of famine. This phase poses the greatest danger to the lives of residents and means witnessing cases of mass deaths.

“We have seen a doubling in child mortality under the age of five, rising from 13 deaths per 1,000 children to 32 per 1,00”, al-Bursh said. “We call on the UN Security Council to declare a state of famine in Gaza and to open humanitarian corridors to deliver food and medicine.”