Cindy McCain, head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has warned of a worsening famine in Gaza, stressing that civilians are not receiving enough food and the humanitarian crisis is deepening under war and blockade.
Following her visit to Gaza this week, McCain told the Associated Press that she met mothers and children suffering from extreme hunger.
She emphasized: “The famine is real and ongoing in the strip.”
According to her, Gaza’s largest city is already experiencing famine, and the risk of it spreading to other areas remains high unless a ceasefire is reached and restrictions on humanitarian aid are lifted.
Talks With Israel on Urgent Aid Access
McCain confirmed that she discussed the urgent need for increased aid with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite previously dismissing reports on famine in Gaza as “Hamas propaganda,” Netanyahu expressed concern about food shortages.
“We agreed on the need to immediately double our efforts to bring in more humanitarian assistance,” McCain stated, stressing that safe and unhindered access for aid convoys is critical.
Famine in Gaza and Death Toll
Medical sources in Gaza reported that four Palestinians died of hunger in recent hours, raising the total number of starvation-related deaths to 317, including 121 children.
This comes after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza last week, increasing global pressure on Israel.
Tel Aviv rejected the IPC’s findings and demanded a reversal, while its military body, COGAT, claimed that over 300 aid trucks enter Gaza daily—most carrying food.
Relief agencies, however, maintain that these supplies are “far from sufficient” given 22 months of war and the collapse of local food production.
Israeli Minister Calls for Starvation as Policy
Adding fuel to international outrage, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently called for the extermination of Gaza’s population.
He urged for the cutting of “water, electricity, and food supplies so that those who do not die by bullets will die of hunger.”
Such remarks have been condemned as evidence of deliberate starvation being used as a weapon of war.
UN Chief: “Gaza Is a Catastrophe of the Present”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in Gaza as a “catastrophe of the present,” warning that Israel’s expansion of military operations could trigger “a new and dangerous phase” with devastating consequences.
He cautioned that intensified attacks may force hundreds of thousands of already exhausted civilians to flee once again.
Guterres added that the strip is now “filled with rubble, corpses, and examples of possible grave violations of international law.”
Gaza War Death Toll Continues to Mount
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s U.S.-backed military campaign in Gaza has been described as an unfolding genocide.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health:
- 62,966 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children
- 159,266 injured
- Over 9,000 missing
- Hundreds of thousands displaced
- 317 deaths from famine in Gaza, including 121 children
The combination of relentless bombardment, mass displacement, and deliberate starvation has left Gaza on the brink of total humanitarian collapse.
