Occupied Jerusalem, Aug. 3 (SANA) The United Nations on Monday warned that the Gaza Strip is facing a food emergency that could develop into famine, stressing that the continued flow of humanitarian aid is the key factor in preventing the crisis from worsening, OCHA’s head in Palestine said.
“Approximately 67% of Gaza‘s population suffers from food insecurity, while more than 200,000 people — about 10% of the population — are in the phase immediately preceding a formal famine declaration under the international food security classification,” Justin Brady, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Palestine, told a press conference in Ramallah.
Brady said the latest food security assessment, conducted by more than 60 experts from 20 organizations, showed that the relative improvement recorded compared to previous periods is due mainly to the continued flow of humanitarian aid, not to recovery in living conditions or the restoration of livelihoods. He warned that any decline in aid volumes would lead to a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
75% reached with food aid
The World Food Programme has since November been able to deliver food assistance to approximately 75% of Gaza’s population, in addition to cash transfers and other relief programs, which helped curb the worsening of the crisis, Brady said.
He stressed that humanitarian needs are not limited to food, with thousands of children and breastfeeding women requiring urgent care and support.
The UN official emphasized that humanitarian aid, despite its importance, cannot provide a permanent solution, calling for investment in early recovery programs and the restoration of livelihoods, while ensuring the continued flow of aid.
1.4 million face food insecurity
OCHA confirmed that approximately 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from food insecurity, renewing its warning that the Strip could slide into famine if aid flows do not continue and conditions on the ground do not improve.
The warning comes as Israel’s siege on Gaza continues, obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid amid ongoing attacks on the Strip, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and increasing the risk of famine.
Since October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 injured in the Israeli offensive, with thousands more still missing under rubble, according to Palestinian health authorities.
A ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025 has failed to halt daily Israeli violations and the blockade, with the Israeli army continuing to prevent the entry of the majority of humanitarian aid.
Kh.A / H.H
