Famine in Gaza no longer a risk but a reality: Rights group

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has condemned Israel’s complete blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, warning that famine is no longer a risk but a reality.

The Geneva-based rights group said on Saturday that the imminent threat of famine in the Gaza Strip is deeply alarming, particularly considering the ongoing illegal and comprehensive blockade imposed by the Tel Aviv regime for the past 45 days.

“After 45 days of total Israeli blockade, famine is no longer a risk, it’s becoming a reality, ” it said.

“This marks the longest uninterrupted restriction on humanitarian aid and essential goods since the beginning of Israel’s genocide in the Strip over 18 months ago.”

Euro-Med noted that its field team in the Gaza Strip had observed alarming indicators pointing to a severe food crisis that may soon reach the level of famine.

“The ongoing Israeli blockade has caused a severe and persistent shortage of essential food items necessary for survival, including grains, proteins, and fats,” it said.

According to the Euro-Med, much of Gaza’s remaining agricultural and food infrastructure has either been bombed or otherwise destroyed, and/or is currently under Israeli military control.

“As a result, people have been forced to sell their most basic belongings just to secure food, signaling the onset of a breakdown in their ability to endure the hunger,” it warned.

The rights group went on to highlight that families in the Gaza Strip have been forced to cut the number of their daily meals, resulting in noticeable weight loss among residents. 

Israeli forces have deliberately targeted over 37 aid distribution centers and 28 food banks, as part of a systematic policy to starve civilians and exacerbate their suffering, it noted.

“The starvation imposed by Israel on civilians in the Gaza Strip represents one of the most severe and inhumane forms of genocide, as well as a grave violation of human dignity.

“It extends beyond the mere denial of food, as it also seeks to dismantle the population’s ability to survive by destroying livelihoods, obstructing humanitarian aid, targeting sources of food production, and deliberately disrupting essential supply chains,” it said.

The statement stressed that the most devastating impacts of such policy fall on women and, tragically, on children who make up over two-thirds of the Gaza Strip’s population.

“Children are suffering slow and painful deaths due to severe malnutrition, weakened immune systems, and stunted growth, all driven by the acute shortage of food and medical care. 

“Meanwhile, pregnant and breastfeeding women face life-threatening risks — for themselves and their fetuses or infants — due to the absence of essential nutrition and the total collapse of the healthcare.”

Euro-Med emphasized that Israel must be held accountable for using starvation as a weapon against civilians, which is a war crime under international humanitarian law and a serious violation of its obligations as an occupying power. 

WFP: Over two million Gazans lacking any source of income

The World Food Programme (WFP) has also warned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, stating that nearly two million people –most of whom are displaced — are currently living without any source of income, and are completely reliant on humanitarian aid to meet their basic food needs.

The UN body raised alarm over an increasing danger to hundreds of thousands of Gaza’s population.

WFP expressed grave concern over the sharp decline in food stocks, warning that the region is on the brink of a potential humanitarian catastrophe.

According to the UN body, Gaza’s critical situation is compounded by Israel’s ongoing closure of the border crossings, which is preventing the delivery of vital food supplies to the besieged territory.

Gaza urgently needs an uninterrupted and continuous flow of food to avoid a complete collapse of food security in the territory, it warned.

The international organization also warned about the severe consequences if the current conditions persist, pointing out that Palestinian civilians in Gaza are already facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions, with acute shortages in essential life-sustaining resources.