A full-scale famine has been officially confirmed in the Gaza Strip for the first time, with more than half a million people facing it.
This is stated in a UN report published on August 22.
The analysis of the situation in the Gaza Strip was prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Food Program, and the World Health Organization.
The agencies predict that by the end of September, more than 640 000 people will face catastrophic levels of food insecurity — classified as Phase 5 — across the Gaza Strip. Another 1.14 million people will be in a state of extreme need (Phase 4), and an additional 396 000 people will be in crisis conditions (Phase 3).
Phase 5, or full-scale famine, is declared when three critical thresholds are exceeded — extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition, and starvation deaths. The latest analysis confirms that the situation in Gaza already meets these criteria.
The UN says the worsening situation is due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East over the past two years. The region is witnessing severe restrictions on access to humanitarian aid, increasing obstacles to access to food, water, medical care, support for agriculture, livestock and fisheries, as well as the collapse of health, sanitation and market systems.
Access to food in the Gaza Strip is severely limited. In July, the number of households reporting severe hunger doubled across the territory compared to May, and more than tripled in Gaza City. More than a third of the population (39%) reported going days without food, and adults regularly skipped meals to feed their children.
According to the UN, malnutrition among children in Gaza is progressing at a catastrophic pace. In July alone, more than 12 000 children were recorded as suffering from acute malnutrition, the highest monthly figure on record and a six-fold increase since the beginning of the year. Almost one in four children suffered from severe acute malnutrition.
The number of children who could be at serious risk of death from malnutrition by the end of June 2026 has increased from 14 100 to 43 400. The situation is similar for pregnant and breastfeeding women: the number of estimated cases has increased from 17 000 women in May to 55 000 by mid-2026. The consequences are also observed in newborns: one in five babies is born prematurely or with low birth weight.
What preceded
The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip was a result of active hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023. In mid-January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached agreements on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
However, on the night of March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip and launched large-scale operations there.
On August 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that the country intended to take control of the entire coastal territory. The Israeli military subsequently approved a framework plan for a new offensive operation in Gaza.
On August 20, it became known that Israel had launched an offensive on Gaza City.
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