Brussels, 1 September 2025
The people of Gaza are not only under bombardment , they are being starved. People are struggling to keep themselves and their children alive. Voices from Gaza pierce the statistics:
- “We’ve lost our home, our safety, and half our weight.”
- “I feel exhausted and dizzy. I can’t walk properly. Just standing makes me feel faint. I know one meal isn’t enough, but maybe is enough to keep us alive.” by UNRWA, 2025
Famine is now unfolding across Gaza, an entirely man-made catastrophe. As of 15 August 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famine (IPC Phase 5) in Gaza City and the surrounding areas, affecting more than half a million people with catastrophic food insecurity. Child malnutrition has skyrocketed: 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through mid-2026 with 41,000 of them in the most severe, life-threatening category.
As Sam Rose of UNRWA told the Associated Press: “Just think for a minute about what that means for any human being, but what it means for parents, what it means for children who’ve grown up knowing nothing but this.”
The causes are unmistakable: nearly two years of relentless conflict, a total blockade of aid, the destruction of agricultural systems, and the dismantling of infrastructure essential to survival. This famine is not the consequence of geography—it is the consequence of political choices.
IFRD demands action:
- An immediate end to the genocide in Gaza.
- Full, unhindered humanitarian access, especially to food, nutrition, and water.
- The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and the implementation of targeted sanctions
This famine is not only taking lives, it is erasing a generation. The world must act now to preserve the right to life, dignity, and food for every Palestinian.
