August 23, 2025

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said Friday that the confirmation of famine in Gaza is "a moment of collective shame" at a press briefing.

"It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed," he said. "It is a famine that must spur the world to more urgent action. That must shame the world to do better."

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) committee, responsible for determining the presence of famine, confirmed on Friday that famine is currently occurring in Gaza and is projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis cities in the coming weeks. IPC warned that by the end of September, nearly a third of Gaza's population – more than 640,000 people – could face catastrophic hunger, with another 1.14 million at emergency levels.

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