ROME, Nov 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Famine is looming in the northern Gaza Strip
amid increased hostilities and a near-halt in food aid, a UN-backed
assessment said Saturday.

The alert from the Famine Review Committee warned of "an imminent and
substantial likelihood of famine occurring, due to the rapidly deteriorating
situation in the Gaza Strip."

"Famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near
future," said the alert.

On October 17, the body projected that the number of people in Gaza facing
"catastrophic" food insecurity between November and April 2025 would reach
345,000, or 16 percent of the population.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report classified
that as IPC Phase 5 -- a situation when "starvation, death, destitution and
extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident."

Since that report, conditions have worsened in the north of Gaza, with a
collapse of food systems, a drop in humanitarian aid and critical water,
sanitation and hygiene conditions, the committee said.

"It can therefore be assumed that starvation, malnutrition, and excess
mortality due to malnutrition and disease, are rapidly increasing in these
areas," it read.

Vast areas of the Gaza Strip have been devastated by Israel's retaliatory
assault launched after the October 7 attack last year by Hamas.

Israeli forces have intensified their operations in large swathes of the Gaza
Strip's north since early October, where evacuation orders are in place.

Aid shipments allowed to enter the Gaza Strip were now lower than at any time
since October 2023, said the report.

Access to food continues to deteriorate, with prices of essentials on the
black market soaring. Cooking gas rose by 2,612 percent, diesel by 1,315
percent and wood by 250 percent, it said.

"Concurrent with the extremely high and increasing prices of essential items
has been the total collapse of livelihoods to be able to purchase or barter
for food and other basic needs," said the alert.

The body expressed concern over Israel's cutting ties last month with the UN
aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), warning of "extremely serious
consequences for humanitarian operations" in Gaza.