The United Nations Security Council confronted deep divisions on Wednesday as 14 of its 15 members declared famine in Gaza a "man-made crisis," while the United States questioned the credibility of a global hunger monitor's assessment. The rare joint statement came as aid agencies reported children dying daily from hunger under Israel's siege.
"Famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately," the council members said. "Time is of the essence. The humanitarian emergency must be addressed without delay and Israel must reverse course." The statement demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the release of hostages, and the lifting of restrictions on aid delivery.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported last week that famine has already taken hold in Gaza City and surrounding areas, with 514,000 Palestinians suffering starvation and the figure expected to reach 641,000 by September. Israel rejected the findings as "deeply flawed" and urged the IPC to retract its report, arguing the data relied too heavily on information from Hamas.
At the council meeting, acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the IPC analysis "doesn't pass the test on either" credibility or integrity. "We all recognize that hunger is a real issue in Gaza and that there are significant humanitarian needs which must be met. Addressing those needs is a priority for the United States," she said.
UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief Joyce Msuya told the council the crisis was escalating rapidly. "Over half a million people currently face starvation, destitution and death," she said. "By the end of September, that number could exceed 640,000. Virtually no one in Gaza is untouched by hunger." She added that 132,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition. "This famine is not a product of drought or some form of natural disaster. It is a created catastrophe."
Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing accused world powers of inaction. "The Gaza famine is here. An engineered famine. A man-made famine," she said. "Children in Gaza are systematically being starved to death. This is starvation as a method of war in its starkest terms." She described clinics "packed with malnourished children" who have stopped crying from weakness.
Meanwhile, Gaza's Ministry of Health reported 10 more deaths "due to famine and malnutrition" in the past 24 hours, including two children. The overall toll from hunger-related causes has risen to 313, among them 119 children.
The humanitarian warnings coincided with intensified Israeli military strikes. Hospitals in Khan Younis reported civilian casualties, including three killed in a drone attack on tents housing displaced families. Aid workers said Israeli strikes near distribution sites killed at least 12 more, even as families queued for food parcels.
According to health officials in Gaza, Israeli operations killed 51 Palestinians on Wednesday, bringing the overall death toll to at least 62,895 since October 7, when Hamas-led attacks in Israel killed 1,139 people and took more than 200 hostage.
