Amman: Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that severe food insecurity in Gaza exposes over 335,000 children under the age of five to the risk of acute malnutrition and death.
“Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned the world of the high risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, which is increasing daily if the situation continues as it is,” according to a UNICEF statement.
IPC notes that more than half a million people in Gaza face “catastrophic” levels of acute food insecurity, the highest alert level.
It warns that the “man-made, avoidable catastrophic means that children and families in the Gaza Strip face violence from the air, deprivation of land, and the worst is yet to come.”
More than 1.2 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity, and famine thresholds for acute food insecurity have been crossed. This means that the risk of starvation has become a reality for many families in Gaza, according to the IPC.
UNICEF estimates that in the coming weeks, a
t least 10,000 children under the age of five will suffer from the most life-threatening form of malnutrition.
The “unacceptable” risk comes at a time when the food and health systems in Gaza are facing complete collapse. More than 80 per cent of children suffer from severe food poverty, and more than two-thirds of hospitals are not operational due to fuel, water and vital medical supply shortages and damage from Israeli attacks.
Source: Jordan News Agency