Germany’s newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday called for urgent measures from all parties to prevent a looming famine in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli aid blockade since early March.
“It is a humanitarian obligation on all parties—and I stress, on all parties—that famine in the region be averted as soon as possible,” Merz told parliament.
His statement comes amid dire warnings from international monitors about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave. A new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative, released Monday, warned that Gaza faces a critical risk of famine, with the entire population of approximately 2.1 million suffering from acute food insecurity.
The IPC report highlights that nearly 500,000 people—one in five residents—are facing starvation, while 93 percent of Gaza’s population is experiencing extreme food shortages.
Seventy days after the Israeli military blocked the entry of food, water, medicine, and other life-saving supplies, the IPC said essential goods are either already depleted or expected to run out within weeks.
The situation has significantly worsened since the IPC’s last update in October, with larger segments of the population now classified under the most severe food insecurity levels. Without immediate intervention, the entire population is expected to face “crisis” or worse levels of acute food insecurity between May and September.
Gazan health authorities reported last week that at least 57 people—including children—have already died of starvation due to the blockade.
The IPC analysis also warns of widespread acute malnutrition, particularly in northern Gaza, which has been largely destroyed, and in Rafah, the densely populated southernmost region where over a million displaced residents are currently sheltering.
A continued blockade, the report states, will likely trigger further mass displacement, deepen civil unrest, and intensify competition over dwindling resources. “The vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip would not have access to food, water, shelter, or medicine,” it concluded, adding that the erosion of remaining community support systems could lead to a total humanitarian collapse.
Source: AFP, Al Jazeera