Overview

• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate as of August 15, marking the first IPC famine finding in the Middle East and only the fifth globally since 2004.
• About 514,000 people are already in catastrophic conditions, with the number projected to rise to roughly 641,000 by the end of September as famine risk extends to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
• The IPC cites collapsed food systems, mass displacement and severe access constraints, projecting 132,000 children under five with acute malnutrition through June 2026, including more than 41,000 severe cases.
• UN officials accuse Israeli authorities of systematically obstructing aid and warn starvation can constitute a war crime, while Israel’s foreign ministry and COGAT call the IPC analysis false, biased and reliant on partial data.
• Israel is preparing an expanded operation in Gaza City that aid groups say could further disrupt relief, and the IPC notes North Gaza could be as bad or worse but lacks sufficient data for classification.