A United Nations-backed panel has issued a warning that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip, coinciding with a deadline set by the Biden administration for Israel to enhance humanitarian aid deliveries to the region. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification stated that 13 months of conflict have created a “substantial likelihood of famine” due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions in Gaza.
The panel, which comprises major relief organizations, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that action is required “within days, not weeks” to mitigate the suffering in the enclave. Although conditions had improved from May to August due to increased humanitarian assistance, those gains have been largely reversed in recent weeks.
This warning comes just before a mid-November deadline established by the Biden administration, which has urged Israel to facilitate a better flow of aid to Gaza’s 2.2 million residents. The administration indicated that failing to provide additional aid could have repercussions for U.S. policy, including military assistance to Israel.
In a letter signed by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, it was noted that the quantity of assistance entering Gaza in September was the lowest recorded in the past year. The letter requested that Israel implement specific measures, including increasing the daily number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to reverse the negative humanitarian trends.
For much of the past year, aid organizations have warned of an impending famine in Gaza, complicated by the challenges of officially declaring such a crisis amid ongoing conflict. The determination of famine requires difficult data collection in war zones and necessitates formal declarations from both the United Nations and local authorities, raising questions about which governing body would be recognized in Gaza.
Israel's military actions, including bombardments and a blockade, have severely restricted food imports and devastated local agriculture and fishing industries, leaving the majority of Gaza's population dependent on limited humanitarian aid for survival.
In early October, Israel halted the entry of all commercial goods into Gaza, leading to a significant reduction in aid. A senior Israeli military official cited Jewish holidays and ongoing military operations as reasons for the temporary closure of crossings into northern Gaza.
While General Elad Goren asserted that there are no restrictions on humanitarian assistance entering northern Gaza, he did not clarify the reasons for the ban on commercial goods. Israel has not provided a comprehensive explanation for the low levels of humanitarian aid, particularly food, entering the region.
The Israeli military has stated that it does not restrict civilian supplies but requires permits for items deemed dual-use, citing concerns over potential diversion by Hamas. The Biden administration has criticized Israel for imposing excessive dual-use restrictions.
On Friday, Israel's military announced preparations to reopen the Kissufim crossing, which has been closed since 2005, to facilitate increased aid flow. However, no specific timeline was provided for when this crossing would be operational.
Since the Biden administration's demands for at least 350 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily, aid agencies have reported minimal compliance from Israel. The humanitarian crisis has intensified in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have been engaged in a prolonged offensive against Hamas.
On Saturday, the Israeli military agency overseeing aid in Gaza reported that it had allowed 11 trucks of food, water, and medical supplies into Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun earlier in the week, with a total of 713 trucks entering the north since the beginning of October.
The United Nations has warned that up to 400,000 individuals could be stranded in the area due to ongoing military operations, with the U.N.-backed panel stating that “the worst-case scenario” is unfolding in northern Gaza. The report indicated that starvation, malnutrition, and related mortality rates are rapidly increasing.
Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the U.N. agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported that humanitarian organizations have faced blockages in delivering food to besieged areas of northern Gaza for an entire month. She noted that approximately 1.7 million individuals across Gaza did not receive their monthly U.N. food rations in October, representing 80 percent of the population.