Sat Nov 09 19:18:14 UTC 2024: ## Famine Looms in Northern Gaza Strip as Food Aid Plummets
**Rome, November 10, 2024:** A dire warning has been issued by the Famine Review Committee, a UN-backed body, stating that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip due to a combination of intensified hostilities and a drastic reduction in food aid.
The report, published on Saturday, cites a significant deterioration in the region’s food security, highlighting a “collapse of food systems” and a dramatic drop in humanitarian assistance. The report also points to a sharp decline in water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions, further exacerbating the crisis.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has classified the situation as IPC Phase 5, signifying a catastrophic level of food insecurity characterized by starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition.
The Famine Review Committee states that famine thresholds may have already been crossed, or will be soon. The report emphasizes that “starvation, malnutrition, and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease” are rapidly escalating in the affected areas.
The report highlights that aid shipments entering Gaza are at their lowest point since October 2023, further compounded by the dramatic increase in prices of essential items on the black market. Cooking gas has surged by 2,612%, diesel by 1,315%, and wood by 250% – making basic survival increasingly difficult for the local population.
The committee has expressed deep concern over Israel’s recent decision to sever ties with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), warning that this will have severe consequences for humanitarian operations in Gaza.
The Famine Review Committee’s urgent appeal underscores the critical need for immediate action to avert a humanitarian disaster in northern Gaza, emphasizing the dire situation faced by the local population amid the ongoing conflict and dwindling resources.
First Piper 