The catastrophic situation in Gaza has led to starvation and a situation of extreme chaos. Experts suggested that over 500,000 people in Gaza City were experiencing extreme hunger. After which, the United Nations declared a famine in the conflict region, which is said to be the first such famine in West Asia. The UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said that the famine is completely preventable, but the “systematic obstruction” by Israel is making things worse. But right after the statement was made public, the foreign ministry of Israel said that there was no famine in Gaza.
The ministry also slammed the IPC panel report, calling it misleading and manipulated by Hamas and its connections. The situation in Gaza is terrible, and the UN has been warning about it for a long time. The latest report by the IPC Panel said that as of August 15 2025, there was sufficient evidence that Gaza is suffering from a famine. It said that Gaza City, which makes up about 20 per cent of the Gaza Strip, was under famine-like conditions. The report also highlighted that the famine is expected to spread in other areas like Khan Yunis and Deir el-Balah, which together with Gaza city will make up two-thirds of the Strip.
The conflict in Gaza has now continued for 22 months, and the worst sufferers are the innocent people, including women and children. The IPC reported that the latest findings are the most severe ones since the beginning of the conflict. It emphasised that the conflict has caused massive destruction of properties and displacement of the people, leaving them with no food and essential supplies. In March this year, Israel cut all food and essential supplies to Gaza, which were not restored until the end of May. This has led to a severe shortage of goods in Gaza.
Fletcher, who was speaking at a conference in Geneva, said that the situation in Gaza should haunt everyone. He told the reporters that it is a famine that could have been prevented if Israel had not obstructed the supplies and humanitarian efforts. As per the report, 98% cropland in Gaza has been devastated, inaccessible, or both. Adding to the issues, the health system in Gaza has also deteriorated.
