Weeks of restricted access to food in the Gaza Strip have resulted in severe hunger and an increasing risk of famine in the besieged enclave.
Since early October, Israeli attacks in Gaza have caused damage to local bakeries and food warehouses, as well as the roads used for transporting humanitarian aid. Additionally, Israel’s complete blockade on the enclave has limited the entry of food, water, and fuel.
How dire is the starvation situation in Gaza and what is the current state of the food supply since the war? Here is what we know.
According to a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Monday, over 90 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million is facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
The IPC, which assesses hunger risks, also stated on Thursday that 2.08 million people in Gaza are experiencing “acute food insecurity” classified as phase three or higher on the organization’s scale.
The IPC has five phases of acute food insecurity, ranging from none (phase one) to catastrophe or famine (phase five). Phases three and five are considered crisis and emergency levels. “Acute” food insecurity is a short-term phenomenon caused by unusual or man-made shocks, as opposed to “chronic” food insecurity, which is long-term and a result of insufficient means for sustenance.
Post from www.aljazeera.com