For the first time in the Middle East, famine has been officially confirmed in Gaza, with more than half a million people trapped in conditions of extreme hunger, starvation, and preventable deaths, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released Friday.

The report warns that famine, already devastating Gaza City, is projected to spread rapidly to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis governorates in the coming weeks. By the end of September, over 640,000 people will face Catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 5), while an additional 1.14 million will be in Emergency (Phase 4) and nearly 400,000 in Crisis (Phase 3).

Four UN agencies—the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO)—issued a joint appeal for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access, warning that famine must be stopped “at all costs.”

“A Man-Made Famine”

The agencies emphasized that nearly two years of conflict, repeated displacement, destroyed cropland, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid have pushed Gaza to the brink. Food, water, medicines, and fuel remain critically scarce, while skyrocketing prices make even basic essentials unaffordable.

“People in Gaza have exhausted every possible means of survival,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Access to food is not a privilege – it is a basic human right.”

Cindy McCain, Executive Director of WFP, said famine warnings had been clear for months. “What’s urgently needed now is a surge of aid, safer conditions, and proven distribution systems to reach those most in need—wherever they are. Full humanitarian access and a ceasefire now are critical to save lives.”

Children on the Brink

The impact on children is catastrophic. More than 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished in July alone—the highest monthly figure ever recorded in Gaza and a six-fold increase since January. Nearly one in four of them suffers from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described the worsening situation: “Children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat; babies dying from hunger and preventable disease; parents arriving at clinics with nothing left to feed their children. Without an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access, famine will spread, and more children will die.”

The number of children expected to be at severe risk of death from malnutrition by mid-2026 has already tripled to 43,400. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also severely affected, with cases of life-threatening malnutrition projected to rise from 17,000 in May to 55,000 by next year.

Health System on the Verge of Collapse

Gaza’s health system, already decimated by conflict, is buckling under the combined pressures of malnutrition, disease, and lack of supplies. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that even common illnesses are becoming fatal.

“Widespread malnutrition means that even usually mild diseases like diarrhoea are becoming deadly, especially for children. Gaza must be urgently supplied with food and medicines to save lives,” Dr. Tedros said. He stressed that hospitals must be protected, and aid blockages must end to allow the health system to function.

A Call for Urgent Action

The UN agencies highlighted that nearly 98 percent of Gaza’s cropland is damaged or inaccessible, nine out of ten people have been repeatedly displaced, and aid operations remain severely disrupted, with UN trucks looted amid rising desperation.

To reverse famine, they stressed the need not only for immediate food and medical aid but also for restoring commercial flows, supporting local agriculture, and reviving basic services.

“Famine is now a grim reality for children in Gaza Governorate, and a looming threat in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis,” Russell warned. “There is no time to lose.”