Gaza

Famine Report – UN Chief

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UN Chief’s Last Report on Famine in Gaza (August 2025) : “It is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself.”

The most recent statement from UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the famine in Gaza was issued on August 22, 2025, in response to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report confirming famine conditions. This represents the UN’s latest official assessment and call to action as of late August 2025. Guterres described the situation as a “man-made disaster” and a “failure of humanity itself,” emphasizing Israel’s obligations as the occupying power under international law. Below are the key details, drawn from the official UN statement and related IPC analysis.

Key Context and Situation

Famine Confirmation and Scope: The IPC report, released on August 22, 2025, confirms that famine (IPC Phase 5) is occurring in Gaza Governorate (including Gaza City), affecting over 500,000 people with widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths. This is the first officially confirmed famine in the Middle East region since the IPC began analyzing Gaza in 2004. Conditions are projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates by the end of September 2025, potentially impacting nearly 641,000 people (a third of Gaza’s population) in catastrophic conditions. An additional 1.14 million (58%) are expected to face emergency levels (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 (20%) crisis levels (IPC Phase 3). North Gaza’s conditions are estimated to be as severe or worse, but limited access prevented full classification.
Human Impact: Hundreds of thousands go days without food, with serial displacement affecting nine out of ten people. The health system is collapsed, exacerbating disease and malnutrition. This marks the most severe deterioration in food insecurity since the conflict began, driven by 22 months of relentless hostilities, destruction, and aid restrictions.
Causes: Guterres and UN agencies attribute the famine directly to Israeli policies, including systematic border obstructions where aid and food stack up just hundreds of meters away in a fertile land. Local food production is decimated: 98% of cropland is damaged or inaccessible, livestock is largely eliminated, fishing is banned, and essential systems (water, sanitation, health) are deliberately collapsed. Since July 2025, aid has increased slightly but remains vastly insufficient, inconsistent, and inaccessible due to blockades and military operations. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated it is the “direct result” of these actions, constituting potential war crimes like using starvation as a method of warfare and willful killing.

The full statement and report details are available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165702

Key Statistics

Affected Population: Over 500,000 currently in famine (Phase 5); projected to rise to 641,000 by end-September 2025.
Malnutrition Surge: In July 2025 alone, over 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished—the highest monthly figure ever, a six-fold increase since January 2025. By June 2026, 132,000 children under 5 are at risk of death from acute malnutrition (doubled from May 2025 estimates), including 43,400 severe cases (tripled from 14,100). An additional 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women require urgent nutrition support.
Broader Crisis: Nearly the entire population (2.3 million) faces high acute food insecurity; one in three goes without food for days. Preventable deaths from hunger-related causes are escalating, with hospitals overwhelmed.

Key Quotes from Guterres

“Just when it seems there are no words left to describe the living hell in Gaza, a new one has been added: ‘famine‘.”
“It is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself.”
“Famine is not about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival. People are starving. Children are dying. And those with the duty to act are failing.”
“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population.”
“No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow – it is now.”