UN experts: Famine is spreading in Gaza
For several experts advising the UN Human Rights Council, there is no longer any doubt that a famine is spreading in the Gaza Strip. They refer to several specific cases of babies and children in a statement who have died due to malnutrition. "When the first child dies from malnutrition and dehydration, it is incontrovertible that a famine has broken out," according to the experts' opinion. However, officially, food crises are explained by other UN experts according to very specific criteria. They work for the IPC reports on food security with five categories.
The highest category means: extreme critical situation. In the latest IPC report on Gaza from June 25, it is stated that almost half a million people or 22 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip fell into category five. At the same time, the experts caution: "The available data do not indicate that a famine is currently in effect." A famine is only declared when several additional criteria are met: not only the number of affected people, but also the extent of malnutrition in small children and the number of deaths.
The eleven independent experts and experts speak of 34 deaths in the Gaza Strip due to malnutrition since the beginning of the Gaza War. They mention three specific cases: that of a barely six-month-old baby, a 9-year-old boy, and a 13-year-old boy at the end of May and beginning of June. They do not provide medical details about the causes of death. The Gaza War began with devastating terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The experts and experts called for more humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, an end to the blockade of the area by Israel, and a ceasefire. They deal with issues such as the right to food, mental health, or the human rights of Palestinians in the name of the UN Human Rights Council. They advise the Human Rights Council and do not speak on behalf of the United Nations (UN).
Israel accuses Hamas in the Gaza Strip of stealing humanitarian aid and vehemently denies that there is a famine in the coastal region.
The UN experts have cited 34 deaths due to malnutrition in Gaza since the Gaza war, which is a clear indication of the severe food crisis in the region. Despite the high number of affected individuals and reported cases of malnutrition-related deaths, UN experts have not yet declared a famine in Gaza, as additional criteria, such as widespread malnutrition in children and a specific threshold of deaths, have not been met.
