World Leaders, UN Agencies Demand Urgent Aid After Famine Declared In Gaza

BRUSSELS/BERLIN/LONDON/GENEVA, Aug 22 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Strong condemnation and urgent appeals poured in Friday from across the world after the United Nations (UN)-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, warning it will spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis within weeks, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib said famine is now a “reality” in Gaza, with people dying from starvation.

“Famine is a reality in #Gaza, now confirmed by @theIPCinfo report. People are dying from starvation,” Lahbib wrote on X, calling it a “race against time.”

She cited IPC analysis that by the end of September, almost one in three Gazans, some 641,000 people could face famine. She urged Israel to allow “unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all people in need.”

The IPC said that as of Aug 15, famine (IPC Phase 5) with reasonable evidence was confirmed in Gaza Governorate, one of the five regions of the enclave, where Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

In Berlin, German Foreign Ministry spokesman Josef Hinterseher said there was “no doubt” famine exists in Gaza.

He called on Israel to allow sufficient aid into the enclave, noting Germany had repeatedly warned about the risk.

German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said the IPC report “clearly demonstrated the catastrophic situation in Gaza.”

“More and more people and especially children are starving to death before our very eyes. This cannot continue. The famine is entirely man-made,” she said.

She noted that while access to aid supplies had slightly improved, it was “far from sufficient,” and called for an immediate ceasefire. 

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) echoed that famine, “deliberately created by the Israeli government,” was now confirmed. Israel’s military campaign has devastated Gaza, killing over 62,100 Palestinians since October 2023.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the famine “utterly horrifying” and “wholly preventable.”

“The Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage,” he said.

Lammy urged Israel to allow unhindered delivery of food, medical supplies, fuel, and all types of aid.

He also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying Israel’s military operation in Gaza City -- the epicentre of the famine -- would only worsen the humanitarian situation and endanger hostages held by Hamas.

“The UK reiterates its condemnation of this military action,” he said, urging Israel to halt plans to occupy Gaza City.

Meanwhile, UN agencies warned that famine is already claiming lives in Gaza and stressed that children are at acute risk of starvation.

The joint statement by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) said Gaza had run out of survival options.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said hunger and malnutrition were now killing daily, worsened by the destruction of cropland, livestock, and fisheries.

“Our priority must now be safe and sustained access for large-scale food assistance. Access to food is not a privilege … it is a basic human right,” he said.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said famine warnings had been clear for months.

“What is needed now is a surge of aid, safer conditions on the ground, and effective distribution networks to reach everyone in need. Full humanitarian access and a ceasefire now are critical to save lives,” she said.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described children “with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat; babies dying from hunger and preventable disease; parents arriving at clinics with nothing left to feed their children.”

“There is no time to lose,” she said, warning famine would spread without immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access.

She stressed the need for therapeutic feeding for children on the brink of starvation.

-- BERNAMA