TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC) said on Monday that extreme food shortages in parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels. Without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, mass death is now imminent.

IPC said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine. The IPC said it did not have enough data on death rates, but estimated residents would be dying at famine scale imminently, defined as two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.

Gaza's health ministry has said 27 children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition. Immediate political decisions needed to prevent famine, together with a ceasefire and a significant and immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza

In all, 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza, around half the population, were experiencing "catastrophic" shortages of food, with around 300,000 in the areas now facing the prospect of famine-scale death rates.

The prospect of a man made famine in Gaza has brought the strongest criticism of Israel from Western allies since Oct. 7. "In Gaza, we are no longer on the brink of famine. We are in a state of famine... Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a Brussels conference on aid for Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded that Borrell should "stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas' crimes". Katz stressed that Israel has allowed "extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the IPC report an "appalling indictment" and said Israel must allow complete and unfettered access to all parts of Gaza. Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said he would carefully review the report: His side admitted that the status quo is unsustainable and in need of urgent action to avoid a famine.

REUTERS

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