The head of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gaza warned that the humanitarian and medical situation in the Strip remains catastrophic, with no tangible improvements despite the United Nations formally declaring a famine.
In press remarks on Sunday, the MSF team leader said: “There are no expectations regarding what the UN will do after declaring famine in Gaza. Nothing has changed—people here are still starving.”
On 22 August, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) formally confirmed a famine in Gaza, classifying the situation as Phase 5: Catastrophe. According to the IPC, more than half a million people are suffering extreme hunger, with widespread death, destitution, and critical levels of acute malnutrition.
The crisis has been compounded since March, when Israeli forces closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies. This has accelerated the collapse of humanitarian conditions.
Backed by the United States, Israel’s military aggression in Gaza—ongoing since October 2023—has resulted in more than 223,000 dead and wounded, the majority of them women and children. Over 9,000 people remain missing under the rubble.
MSF and other humanitarian organisations continue to warn that without immediate access for aid, Gaza’s population faces unprecedented levels of starvation and medical collapse.
READ: Famine kills 7 more Palestinians in Israel-blockaded Gaza