World News : In a historic and alarming development, the United Nations has officially declared famine in Gaza, marking the first time such a declaration has been made in West Asia. According to the report, over 500,000 people are currently experiencing famine-like conditions, with projections suggesting the crisis will expand across multiple regions of Gaza by the end of September, impacting nearly two-thirds of the Palestinian population.
The UN attributes the dire conditions to the 22-month-long Israel-Hamas conflict, which has devastated the region’s infrastructure, economy, and food systems. The report states that extreme food insecurity, widespread displacement, and restrictions on humanitarian and commercial food aid have pushed Gaza to the brink of a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.
In response, Israel has categorically rejected the UN’s findings. The Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming, “There is no famine in Gaza. The UN report is based on Hamas propaganda. In recent weeks, large-scale aid has reached the region, and food prices have fallen.” Israeli authorities further dismissed the report as politically biased, stating it “does not reflect ground realities and belongs in the trash with other political documents.”
The UN’s assessment highlights that 98% of Gaza’s agricultural land is either completely destroyed or inaccessible. Livestock populations have vanished, and fishing activities remain banned, effectively collapsing the local food ecosystem.
The situation worsened after Israel halted all food supply into Gaza in March 2025, with only limited relief trickling in by May—too late to reverse the damage. Speaking in Geneva, UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher condemned the blockade, stating, “This famine will haunt us forever. It was preventable, but we were blocked. Grain and supplies are stuck at borders—systematically delayed by Israeli policies.”
Fletcher called the situation a “man-made catastrophe” and branded it “a stain on our collective humanity.”
