Monrovia, Liberia — The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has officially confirmed a state of famine in Gaza, a crisis that humanitarian organizations, including ActionAid Liberia, have warned was inevitable. The famine, classified as IPC Phase 5, has been confirmed in the Gaza Governorate and is projected to spread to the regions of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September. This catastrophic situation is a direct result of the Israeli government’s prolonged blockade of lifesaving aid, which is considered a breach of international humanitarian law.
Over 500,000 people are currently facing catastrophic conditions, including starvation and death. More than 1 million people, over half of Gaza’s population, are in a state of emergency (IPC Phase 4), and another 396,000 are in a crisis (IPC Phase 3). The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian convoys, closure of border crossings, and the weaponization of food and medical supplies have been denounced as collective punishment and a war crime under international law.
The consequences are dire and being felt by everyone. Mothers are being forced to feed their infants unsafe substitutes for milk, and children are dying from preventable causes.
“There are mothers who resort to using legume water, herbs, and other alternatives to infant milk because of the severe shortage,” said Dr. Ra’ed Al-Baba of Al Awda Hospital. “These methods carry catastrophic risks, causing gastroenteritis, food poisoning, delayed growth, severe anemia, and even the inability to move. We have seen cases of extreme dehydration from polluted water mixed with these substitutes. This is not survival, this is slow death.”
Humanitarian workers and their families are also affected. Faten, a senior project officer with WEFAQ, an ActionAid partner, described the personal toll. “In the past two months, I have lost 20 kilograms. My children have lost weight and are malnourished. We haven’t had proper meals for three days. I am exhausted, dizzy, and terrified my children will get sicker. I cry daily. This is the first time in my life I have wished I didn’t have children—because watching them waste away is unbearable.”
ActionAid is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the full and unfettered entry of humanitarian aid, and urgent international diplomatic pressure to ensure compliance with international law. The organization also demands an independent investigation into the causes of the famine and accountability for any violations of international law.
Jamil Sawalmeh, Country Director for ActionAid Palestine, warned that the famine is a man-made catastrophe. “The famine inside Gaza is a war crime,” he said. “It is a man-made catastrophe, driven by deliberate political decisions… I am sure we will hear words of condemnation across the world, but where is the action?”
Sawalmeh emphasized that the ongoing forced mass displacement, combined with the famine and weaponized aid, amounts to collective punishment. He stated that aid drops are merely a distraction and that the international community must take meaningful action to end the war and uphold international law.
ActionAid continues to work with its partners in Gaza to deliver whatever aid is possible under the current restrictions and stands ready to scale up operations if full access is granted.
