Starvation Conditions in Gaza – Findings from the IPC and Global Humanitarian Observers
According to recent analysis published in the London Review of Books by Alex de Waal (May 14, 2025), humanitarian conditions in Gaza have deteriorated to levels approaching famine. Following the imposition of a total blockade by Israel on 2 March 2025, and amid ongoing conflict, food availability in the region has been reduced to levels significantly below international standards for nutritional sufficiency.
The standard daily humanitarian ration is 2,100 calories per person. Estimates from humanitarian agencies suggest that the average availability in Gaza may have dropped to approximately 1,400 calories per person per day by mid-April, with further declines likely. Vulnerable populations—infants, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those with special dietary needs—are most at risk. Reports indicate that individuals without access to informal networks or humanitarian assistance are experiencing extreme malnutrition and organ failure.
Data from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)
Between 28 April and 6 May, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system conducted its fifth phone-based assessment of food security in Gaza since the onset of war nineteen months ago. Despite the challenges of data collection in an active conflict zone, the IPC's May 12 snapshot report estimated that:
925,000 people (44% of Gaza’s population) are in “emergency” acute food insecurity.
244,000 people (12%) are in “catastrophe” conditions—below the starvation threshold.
These figures are considered consistent with observed food stock depletion and restricted access to humanitarian aid.
Limited Coping Mechanisms and Restricted Mobility
Unlike famine-affected populations in regions such as Somalia or Sudan, Palestinians in Gaza face unique limitations. Israel retains full control over financial transactions, trade, humanitarian supplies, and movement. Traditional coping mechanisms—including foraging, remittance transfers, or internal migration—are not available. Gaza’s population remains unable to relocate or access alternative food sources, creating what analysts describe as a “starvation under siege” scenario.
Though Gaza has so far avoided mass outbreaks of disease due to high prewar vaccination rates, continued deprivation threatens public health infrastructure and increases vulnerability to communicable disease outbreaks in the future.
Surveillance-Based Aid and Infrastructure Collapse
Israel has proposed a new system for aid distribution, based on biometric screening and individual tracking. The plan involves notifying pre-approved recipients via SMS to collect aid from four fixed distribution centres, using facial recognition software for identity verification. According to leaked implementation outlines, this program would cover only 60% of the population and operate within a restricted geographic zone.
The approach has been described by observers as a form of “surveillance humanitarianism” and is viewed by some humanitarian experts as an adaptation of historical counterinsurgency methods. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), previously the primary aid distributor, has been sidelined in favor of new mechanisms coordinated by private contractors and a proposed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
This program, even if scaled, does not address infrastructure needs for water, shelter, sanitation, healthcare, or electricity—all of which remain significantly impaired. Aid agencies previously operated approximately 400 distribution sites prior to the current blockade.
Legal and International Developments
On 28 April, the UN requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel’s cooperation with UN humanitarian mechanisms. Israel declined to participate, rejecting the proceedings as biased. Of the 39 states that made presentations in The Hague, only the United States and Hungary supported Israel’s position. The U.S. invoked the 1948 Geneva Conventions but did not reference Israel’s obligations under later treaties such as the Genocide Convention.
The Genocide Convention (Article 2c) prohibits “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” On this basis, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern in April 2025 that current conditions in Gaza may be approaching this threshold.
Humanitarian Risk Assessment and Outlook
The IPC’s Famine Review Committee noted that the situation remains “highly dynamic,” with increasing scarcity of food, water, and medical care. Social structures are under pressure, with widespread displacement and many families residing in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.
While temporary increases in aid flow—such as those seen during past ceasefires—have reduced short-term mortality risks, analysts caution that continued cycles of restriction followed by limited relief are unsustainable. If access to food and essential services is not restored at scale, a collapse in basic survival thresholds is likely.
Source:
Alex de Waal. “Starvation in Gaza.” London Review of Books, May 14, 2025.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), United Nations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – April 2025 Briefing.