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Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Why there hasn't been a formal declaration of famine in Gaza
The IPC warning stopped short of a formal declaration of famine. Here's why: Advertisement The IPC and aid groups says Gaza's hunger crisis is worsening Gaza's population of roughly 2 million Palestinians relies almost entirely on outside aid. Israel's offensive has wiped out what was already limited local food production. Israel's blockade, along with ongoing fighting and chaos inside the territory, has further limited people's access to food. The U.N. World Food Program says Gaza's hunger crisis has reached 'new and astonishing levels of desperation.' Nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and a third of Gaza's population is going days without eating, Ross Smith, the agency's director for emergencies, said Monday. The Gaza Health Ministry says there have been 82 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza this month, including 24 children. It did not give their exact cause of death. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and its figures on war deaths are seen by the U.N. and other experts as the most reliable estimate of casualties. Advertisement Ahmed Abu Halib and his wife Esraa Abu Halib (left) mourned over the body of their 5-month-old baby, Zainab, who died from malnutrition-related causes, according to the family and the hospital. Mariam Dagga/Associated Press Famine occurs when these conditions are met The IPC was first set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia. It includes more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies. Famine can appear in pockets — sometimes small ones — and a formal classification requires caution. The IPC has only declared famine a few times — in Somalia in 2011, and South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and last year in parts of Sudan's western Darfur region. Tens of thousands are believed to have died in Somalia and South Sudan. It rates an area as in famine when all three of these conditions are confirmed: 20% of households have an extreme lack of food, or are essentially starving. At least 30% of children 6 months to 5 years old suffer from acute malnutrition, based on a weight-to-height measurement; or 15% of that age group suffer from acute malnutrition based on the circumference of their upper arm. At least two people, or four children under 5, per 10,000 are dying daily due to starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease. Gaza poses a major challenge for experts because Israel severely limits access to the territory, making it difficult and in some cases impossible to gather data. The IPC said Tuesday that data indicate famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of Gaza, and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City. Famine declarations usually come from the UN or governments While the IPC says it is the 'primary mechanism' used by the international community to conclude whether a famine is happening or projected, it typically doesn't make such a declaration itself. Often, U.N. officials together with governments will make a formal statement based on an analysis from the IPC. But the IPC says once a famine is declared it's already too late. While it can prevent further deaths, it means many people will have died by the time a famine is declared. Advertisement It's not always clear that hunger is the cause of death Most cases of severe malnutrition in children arise through a combination of lack of nutrients along with an infection, leading to diarrhea and other symptoms that cause dehydration, said Alex de Waal, author of 'Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine' and executive director of the World Peace Foundation. 'There are no standard guidelines for physicians to classify cause of death as 'malnutrition' as opposed to infection,' he said. When famine occurs, there are often relatively few deaths from hunger alone. Far more people die from a combination of malnutrition, disease and other forms of deprivation. All of these count as excess deaths — separate from violence — that can be attributed to a food crisis or famine, he said. Palestinians struggled to obtain donated food at a community kitchen, in Gaza City on Saturday. Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press The war has made it hard to get accurate information Israel's offensive has gutted Gaza's health system and displaced some 90% of its population. With hospitals damaged and overwhelmed by war casualties, it can be difficult to screen people for malnutrition and collect precise data on deaths. 'Data and surveillance systems are incomplete and eroded,' said James Smith, an emergency doctor and lecturer in humanitarian policy at the University College London who spent more than two months in Gaza. 'Which means that all health indicators — and the death toll — are known to be an underestimation,' he said. Even when famine is declared, the response can be lacking A declaration of famine should in theory galvanize the international community to rush food to those who need it. But with aid budgets already stretched, and war and politics throwing up obstacles, that doesn't always happen. 'There is not a big, huge bank account' to draw on, said OCHA's Laerke. 'The fundamental problem is that we build the fire engine as we respond.' Advertisement Aid groups say plenty of food and other aid has been gathered on Gaza's borders, but Israel is allowing only a small amount to enter. Within Gaza, gunfire, chaos and looting have plagued the distribution of food. The international pressure led Israel to announce new measures over the weekend, including daily humanitarian pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza and U.N. agencies say Israeli restrictions, and the breakdown of law and order, make it difficult to distribute the food that does come in. 'Only a massive scale-up in food aid distributions can stabilize this spiraling situation, calm anxieties and rebuild the trust within communities that more food is coming,' the World Food Program said. 'An agreed ceasefire is long overdue.' Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
The Latest: Gaza death toll passes 60,000 as Israel and Trump feel pressure over famine alert
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza passed 60,000 on Tuesday. The world's leading authority on food crises said the ' worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out' in the territory of over 2 million people as starvation deaths rise . And the United Nations said far too little food and other aid was entering the enclave, while most of Tuesday's dead were gunned down seeking aid. Pressure grew on Israel's closest ally, the United States , to act as Americans' support for Israeli military action declines sharply. Here's the latest: The U.N. World Food Program says only about half of the aid it has requested to enter Gaza is reaching the territory after Israel eased restrictions on entry over the weekend. WFP wants 100 trucks per day entering the territory of over 2 million people as deaths from starvation increase. Ross Smith, the U.N. agency's director of emergencies, says they lack 'follow-through on the ground' such as faster clearance and approval for aid trucks. He says that 'we need sustained effort at scale for weeks at a time.' A draft document for a U.N. conference says foreign ministers will make an 'unwavering commitment' to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The document obtained by The Associated Press would stress 'the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.' It also will invite all countries that have not recognized the state of Palestine to do so, and 'urge countries who have not done so yet to establish normal relations with Israel.' The draft was circulated for comment by conference co-chair France ahead of the conference's final day on Tuesday. — Edith M. Lederer United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the new alert on Gaza from the world's leading international authority on food crises 'confirms what we have feared: Gaza is on the brink of famine.' 'The facts are in — and they are undeniable,' Guterres said in a statement. 'Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes.' He again called for the free and unimpeded flow of food, water, medicine and fuel into the strip, saying that the 'trickle of aid must become an ocean.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says two of his country's military aircraft are on their way to Jordan to join the airdrops of aid to Gaza. Merz said after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday that the two Airbus A400M planes can join airdrops by the weekend, possibly as early as Wednesday. Abdullah acknowledged that airdrops are 'a drop in the ocean,' though 'it does send a signal and pressure on Israel that we are trying the best that we can.' He insisted that 'truck traffic needs to be started as quickly as possible.' A French diplomatic official says France will carry out airdrops of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the coming days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy. The official stressed that the airdrops are not intended to replace larger-scale relief efforts. France is also working to establish overland deliveries, which it described as 'by far the most effective solution for delivering massive, unimpeded humanitarian relief.' — Thomas Adamson in Paris
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Israel Begins Daily Pause In Fighting In Parts of Gaza Amid Surging Hunger
The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said the "tactical pause" in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. The pause runs from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily until further notice. "Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise. An airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed a woman and her four children. Another strike killed four people, including a boy, his mother and grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood. Israel's military had no immediate comment. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid to the population of over 2 million because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence. Images in recent days of emaciated children in Gaza have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who call for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has created. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. Israel's military also said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery. It said the new steps were made in coordination with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups. Neighboring Jordan said it carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, dropping 25 tons of food and supplies on several locations. The U.N. World Food Program welcomed the steps and said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It said a ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need. WFP has said a third of Gaza's population were not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director-general of Gaza's Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition after an increase in hunger-related deaths. "This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives," he said. "Every delay is measured by another funeral." The local pauses in fighting came as ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering "alternative options" to talks. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgement that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza, and asserted that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to Gaza for 2 months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of them remain in Gaza, over half of them believed to be dead. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and others to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and a woman, and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a GHF aid distribution site in central Gaza. GHF, which denies involvement in any violence near its sites, said there were no incidents at or near its sites. Israel's military said it was looking into the report. Ten other people were killed seeking aid in other areas of Gaza, including northwestern Gaza City, where over 50 people were wounded, hospital officials and medics said. Israel's military announced that two more soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that attack, and took 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal' aid as hunger grows
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of the Gaza Strip for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said the 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al Balah and Muwasi, three areas with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. The pause runs from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily until further notice. 'Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise. Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 38 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 23 seeking aid. An airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed a woman and her four children. Another strike killed four people, including a boy, his mother and grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood. Israel's military had no immediate comment. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid to the population of more than 2 million because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule. Israel has not offered evidence for its claim. Images in recent days of emaciated children in Gaza have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who call for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has created. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. Israel's military also said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery. It said the new steps were made in coordination with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups. Neighboring Jordan said it carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, dropping 25 tons of food and supplies on several locations. The U.N. World Food Program welcomed the steps and said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It said a ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need. WFP has said a third of Gaza's population was not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director-general of Gaza's Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition after an increase in hunger-related deaths. 'This [humanitarian] truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' he said. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.' The local pauses in fighting came as ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering 'alternative options' to talks. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgment that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza, and asserted that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to Gaza for 2½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of them remain in Gaza, more than half of them believed to be dead. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the United Nations and others to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and a woman, and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution site in central Gaza. The foundation, which denies involvement in any violence near its sites, said there were no incidents at or near its sites. Israel's military said it was looking into the report. Ten other people were killed seeking aid in other areas of Gaza, including northwestern Gaza City, where more than 50 people were wounded, hospital officials and medics said. Israel's military announced that two more soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that attack, and took 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Shurafa, Goldenberg and Magdy write for the Associated Press and reported from Deir al Balah, Tel Aviv and Cairo, respectively.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal' aid as hunger grows
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said the 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. The pause runs from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily until further notice. 'Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise. Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 38 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 23 seeking aid. An airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed a woman and her four children. Another strike killed four people, including a boy, his mother and grandfather, in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood. Israel's military had no immediate comment. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid to the population of over 2 million because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence. Images in recent days of emaciated children in Gaza have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who call for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has created. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. Israel's military also said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery. It said the new steps were made in coordination with the United Nations and other humanitarian groups. Neighboring Jordan said it carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, dropping 25 tons of food and supplies on several locations. The U.N. World Food Program welcomed the steps and said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It said a ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need. WFP has said a third of Gaza's population were not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director-general of Gaza's Health Ministry, called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition after an increase in hunger-related deaths. 'This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives,' he said. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral.' The local pauses in fighting came as ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering 'alternative options' to talks. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgement that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza, and asserted that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to Gaza for 2 ½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of them remain in Gaza, over half of them believed to be dead. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and others to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed. The U.N. says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the U.N.'s control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centers distributing boxes of food. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new sites, the U.N. human rights office says. Israel has railed against the U.N. throughout the war, saying its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The U.N. denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and a woman, and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a GHF aid distribution site in central Gaza. GHF, which denies involvement in any violence near its sites, said there were no incidents at or near its sites. Israel's military said it was looking into the report. Ten other people were killed seeking aid in other areas of Gaza, including northwestern Gaza City, where over 50 people were wounded, hospital officials and medics said. Israel's military announced that two more soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 898 since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war. Hamas killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that attack, and took 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between fighters and civilians, but the ministry says over half of the dead are women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
