United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed deep concern over the worsening situation in Gaza, where famine has now been officially declared. According to the UN, more than half a million Palestinians are experiencing catastrophic food shortages, which means many are facing starvation, extreme poverty, and even death.
“Just when it seems there are no words left to describe the living hell in Gaza, a new one has been added: famine,” Guterres said in a post on X.
UN Raises Alarm Over Gaza’s Dire Food Shortages
Israel, however, rejected the UN’s findings, calling them part of a “fake campaign.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which declared the famine, had “fabricated” its report. The ministry argued that the IPC changed its own rules for Gaza by lowering the threshold for famine from 30% malnutrition to 15%. “They didn’t find famine – so they forged one,” the ministry said on X.
COGAT, an Israeli body responsible for coordinating activities in Gaza and the West Bank, also dismissed the IPC report. It claimed that the report ignored data provided by Israel and overlooked efforts made in recent weeks to send aid and stabilize the situation. “Previous IPC reports have repeatedly been proven inaccurate and do not reflect the reality on the ground,” COGAT stated.
Israel Rejects UN’s Plea
Israel’s ambassador to the European Union, Avi Nir-Feldklein, also said the report was false. He pointed out that Israel had allocated almost double the budget for Palestinian refugees compared to any other refugee population.
The humanitarian crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Latest media reports said that the conflict has killed more than 62,000 people and injured over 157,000 in Gaza. In Israel, around 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, when more than 200 were also taken captive.
Also Read: ‘Gates of Hell’: Israel Threatens Total Gaza Destruction if Hamas Refuses to Surrender
