Conflict. 'Worst-case famine scenario underway' in Gaza, says UN-backed IPC report

A UN-backed international hunger watchdog said Tuesday that the "worst-case famine scenario is underway in Gaza," where Israel has allowed in more trucks of humanitarian aid that international agencies have deemed insufficient so far.

Despite a partial pause in bombing announced by Israel, Civil Defense and hospital sources reported 30 deaths, including 12 children, in Israeli night raids on the Nousseirat camp in the center of the Palestinian territory, ravaged by nearly 22 months of war.

Acute and severe malnutrition

The "worst-case famine scenario is underway in Gaza" due to war, mass displacement, and restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) report. The humanitarian crisis there "has reached an alarming and deadly turning point," the report, which was produced by non-governmental organizations, regional institutions, and specialized UN agencies, said.

"More than 20,000 children were treated for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, including more than 3,000 with severe malnutrition," the IPC added. Hospitals have reported at least 16 deaths of children under five since July 17, the report said.

The airdrops of food authorized by Israel on Sunday "will not be enough to reverse the humanitarian catastrophe," warns the IPC, according to which these airdrops are less effective than road deliveries. The aid "dropped is not enough (...) We need more, because we are dying of hunger and we have nothing," says Ahmed Al-Qoran, a Gaza resident.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities announced that aid transported by more than 200 trucks was distributed by the UN and humanitarian agencies in Gaza on Monday. About 260 other trucks were allowed into Gaza to unload aid at collection points, while four UN tankers transported fuel, they said.

A “tactical pause”

The UN said that at least 500 to 600 trucks of food, medicine, and hygiene products are needed every day to meet the immense needs of the Palestinian population. UN chief Antonio Guterres welcomed "the easing of restrictions on vital humanitarian aid, but this is far from being the solution to end the nightmare." For Olga Cherevko, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "it will take time to determine whether (the Israeli measures) make a difference on the ground."

Facing intense international pressure, Israel announced on Sunday a daily "tactical pause" in hostilities, "from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in France)" in certain areas of Gaza, for humanitarian purposes. It did not specify its duration. Routes designated for aid convoys will be secured from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., according to the army.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Sunday that "there is no policy of famine in Gaza" and that "there is no famine in Gaza." In a counterpoint to his assertions, US President Donald Trump asserted on Monday that there were signs of a "real famine" in the Gaza Strip.