Summary
The hunger crisis in Gaza is severe, with one-third of its population experiencing significant food shortages. Despite the scarcity, it has not been officially declared a famine. Authorities rely on an international system called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) to decide when to label a situation as a famine.
Key Facts
- Hunger in Gaza has reached high levels, affecting a third of the over 2 million people living there.
- Gaza faces extreme shortages of food, water, and medicine.
- The World Food Programme is part of the United Nations and monitors hunger crises around the world.
- The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system helps determine the severity of hunger situations globally.
- The IPC uses a five-phase scale to categorize food security, from normal conditions to famine.
- For a famine to be declared, specific criteria need to be met according to the IPC scale.
- FEWS NET and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) play important roles in monitoring hunger and using the IPC system.
