On Thursday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that the food insecurity situation in the Gaza Strip has improved since last year, when famine was declared in parts of the Palestinian territory. However, the IPC warned that conditions remain at crisis levels. The improvement is attributed to a reduction in fighting and Israel allowing more aid into Gaza, which has had a significant impact, albeit unevenly across areas. Despite this, most families in the war-battered enclave still struggle to get enough food. The IPC report highlights that even small disruptions to humanitarian access could rapidly reverse recent gains.
The Gaza Strip, with a population of 2.1 million Palestinians, continues to face severe food insecurity. The lines at charity kitchens remain long, and prices remain elevated, according to Palestinians in the territory and data from the Gaza Chamber of Commerce. Rana Abu Bakr, a displaced mother, relies on a charity kitchen in Khan Younis each day, stating that her family has no other means of accessing basic necessities like water and food. The IPC report also notes that the prolonged lack of proper nutrition has contributed to a rise in reported cases of stunting in children.
Israeli strikes and shelling have killed over 1,185 people since last October, according to the territory’s health ministry. The IPC, a panel of food security experts, measures factors like extreme food shortages, malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths. It has declared famines in other places, including parts of Sudan and Somalia, and last August declared famine in parts of Gaza. The IPC classifies food insecurity into five phases, with Thursday’s report categorizing all five governorates in the territory as being in Phase 3 crisis conditions, with over 200,000 residents experiencing Phase 4 emergency conditions.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf