The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached alarming levels, with catastrophic shortages of essential resources such as food, water, and medicine, according to assessments by the British Red Cross and the World Health Organization.
Despite the dire conditions, the region has not yet been officially declared a famine, leading to questions about the criteria and processes for such a designation.
The World Food Programme, part of the United Nations, reported that hunger in Gaza is at unprecedented levels, indicating that about one-third of the enclave’s population, which exceeds 2 million people, is currently experiencing multiple days without access to food.
In a stark assessment, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described Gaza as a “horror show,” highlighting the extensive devastation and starvation faced by its residents and urging global action.
One primary reason for the hesitation to declare a famine is the specific, internationally recognized system established to evaluate hunger crises, which began in response to famines in Africa during the 1980s.
Tim Hoffine, Deputy Chief of Party-Innovation at FEWS NET, explained that U.S. aid officials recognized the necessity for a mechanism to monitor global hunger and prevent future famines.
This effort culminated in the establishment of FEWS NET by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1985, aimed at collecting and analyzing data on food security in at-risk regions monthly.
However, the lack of a universal standard to define the severity of hunger crises posed challenges for coordination among donors and aid organizations.
To address this gap, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative was developed in 2004 during a food emergency in Somalia.
As former World Food Programme spokesperson Steve Taravella noted, the IPC serves as the authoritative framework for measuring hunger levels globally, allowing for a consensus-driven understanding of food insecurity among the humanitarian community.
The IPC employs a five-phase scale to categorize hunger situations, with each phase reflecting a progressively severe level of food insecurity.
Phase one reflects normal conditions, while phase two indicates a
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