News - Middle East: A United Nations-backed report announces that Gaza faces “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity, amid Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged strip. 

The latest Global Report on Food Crises, released on Friday, said acute food insecurity and child malnutrition rose for the 6th year in a row in 2024, affecting over 295 million people across 53 countries and territories.

According to the report, the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity “almost tripled” in 2024.

The GRFC, produced annually by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) and launched by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), attributes this rise is attributed to conflict, weather extremes and economic shocks, respectively.

Conflict was the primary driver of hunger, affecting nearly 140 million people across 20 countries last year, including areas facing “catastrophic” levels of food insecurity in Gaza, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. Sudan has confirmed famine conditions.

The report warned that if Israel’s war and complete siege on Gaza continue, “acute food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality will surpass famine thresholds during May to September 2025.”

The GRFC, which provides its analysis through a collaborative effort with United Nations agencies, warned that the outlook for 2025 is “bleak”, as major donor countries have substantially reduced humanitarian funding

‘Failure of humanity’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the report an “unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course”.

“From Gaza and Sudan, to Yemen and Mali, catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other factors is hitting record highs, pushing households to the edge of starvation,” Guterres said.

“This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity. Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs,” he added.

Source: Press TV