UN Chief Warns Gaza Food Crisis Remains ‘Fragile’ as 1.6 Million Face Severe Hunger
HAMILTON: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday warned that while famine in the Gaza Strip has been temporarily averted, the humanitarian situation remains extremely precarious, with more than 75% of the population at risk of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition.
“Famine has been pushed back. Far more people are able to access the food they need to survive,” Guterres told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York. “Gains are fragile, perilously so.”
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, around 1.6 million people in Gaza face “extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks,” highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of the enclave despite a temporary easing of hostilities and improved humanitarian access.
Guterres called for a durable ceasefire and emphasized the need for “more crossings, lifting of restrictions on critical items, removal of bureaucratic red tape, safe routes inside Gaza, sustained funding, and unimpeded access, including for NGOs.”
He also criticized Israel’s refusal to advance to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, which is contingent on the return of the remains of a final deceased hostage. “It is essential to move to phase two, and I don’t think that we should have any pretext to avoid it,” Guterres said. He stressed that full implementation of the ceasefire and peace process is critical.
On the West Bank, Guterres warned of a rapidly deteriorating situation under Israeli occupation, citing escalating settler violence, land seizures, demolitions, and stricter movement restrictions. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced following Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank.
He urged that provisional measures indicated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) must be fully implemented to protect Palestinian rights and uphold international law.
The UN chief’s remarks underscore the urgent need for sustained humanitarian access and political action to prevent a resurgence of famine and address broader instability in the Palestinian territories.