Gaza faces ‘critical risk of famine’: UN report

BEIRUT: Half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation, a global hunger monitor said, warning the Israeli-blockaded enclave faces a high risk of famine by the end of September. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report cited a significant deterioration since October. It forecast that 2.1 million people across Gaza — roughly the entire population — will likely experience high levels of acute food insecurity, with 469,500 projected at “catastrophic” levels — the most severe stage. The previous IPC analysis in October found 133,000 people in that category.