### Looming Famine Threatens Northern Gaza Amid Escalating Conflict

A dire warning has been issued by the Famine Review Committee (FRC), indicating that famine is imminent in northern Gaza unless urgent action is taken. The committee, comprised of global food security experts, emphasized the urgent need for intervention within days to alleviate the escalating food crisis in the area, which has been severely impacted by an ongoing Israeli offensive.

The situation is critical with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimating that between 75,000 and 95,000 individuals remain in northern Gaza. The FRC highlighted that the conditions in the region suggest a rapid increase in starvation, malnutrition, and mortality due to these factors. The committee's rare alert stressed that famine thresholds might have already been surpassed or are on the brink of being crossed.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a globally recognized standard for assessing food crises, defines famine conditions as when at least 20 percent of the population is experiencing extreme food shortages, at least 30 percent of children are acutely malnourished, and the daily mortality rate exceeds two per 10,000 people due to starvation or associated diseases.

Cindy McCain, the executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), reacted to the FRC alert, acknowledging that famine is likely already occurring or about to occur in northern Gaza. She urged for immediate measures to allow the safe and unimpeded flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies to avert a catastrophic situation.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, noted that the northern region has been under siege for more than 30 days, with no access to food, medicine, or water. Key areas such as Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia continue to face relentless attacks, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

The last assessment by the IPC had indicated that the entire Gaza Strip was at risk of famine, with senior UN officials last week describing northern Gaza as "apocalyptic." They warned that every person in the region was at imminent risk of death from disease, famine, and violence, a situation that underscores the gravity of the crisis at hand.

Humanitarian aid entering Gaza has drastically decreased, reaching its lowest levels in a year. The UN has accused Israel of obstructing efforts to deliver essential supplies, particularly to the north of the enclave. While Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon attributed this to Hamas diverting the aid, a claim denied by the group, the necessity for allowing a minimum of 350 trucks carrying food and other supplies daily remains unmet. Statistics reveal that only 37 trucks per day have entered Gaza since the start of October, far below the pre-war average of 500 trucks.

Immediate and decisive action from all parties involved in the conflict is imperative to prevent an all-out catastrophe and save countless lives from the brink of famine in northern Gaza.