Gaza Faces Man-Made Famine and Water Crisis as UN and Aid Agencies Condemn Israeli Restrictions
The United Nations and international aid groups have warned of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where famine and the deliberate deprivation of clean water are compounding a man-made disaster.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed food security body, has recently confirmed famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas, describing conditions as “catastrophic” with more than half a million people facing starvation, destitution, and death, BBC reported. Nearly one-third of Gaza’s population—about 641,000 people—are projected to be in famine-level conditions by September, while another 1.1 million are expected to suffer emergency hunger. The UN warns that malnutrition threatens 132,000 children under five, with at least 271 deaths from hunger already recorded, including 112 children.
The report was labelled an “outright lie” by Israel, which has denied there is starvation in the territory. The UN says Israel is continuing to restrict the amount of aid entering Gaza, which Israel also denies. Its denials are in direct contradiction to what more than 100 humanitarian groups, witnesses on the ground, multiple UN bodies, and several of Israel’s allies, including the UK, have said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation “a failure of humanity,” stressing that Israel has legal obligations to ensure food and medical supplies reach civilians. UN agencies, human rights groups, and several Western governments, including the UK, accuse Israel of systematically obstructing aid—charges Israel denies, insisting it has enabled 2 million tons of supplies to enter Gaza. Aid organizations counter that just 300 trucks a day are entering, far short of the 600 required.
Meanwhile, international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says Israel is using water as “a weapon of war” by bombing infrastructure and blocking equipment needed for desalination. Gaza has no naturally safe water, and with more than 60% of desalination plants destroyed or offline, MSF’s seven units provide only 7.5 liters per person daily—well below emergency needs. The shortage has fueled disease outbreaks, with MSF teams reporting over 1,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea per week. MSF noted that since June 2024, only one in ten of its requests to import items needed for desalination has been approved by Israeli authorities.
With displacement orders covering 86% of Gaza, safe access to aid is further restricted. Aid groups warn that without immediate large-scale relief, famine and disease will claim thousands more lives in the coming months. At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
