UN agencies call for an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza after famine declaration

Several United Nations agencies and bodies called for an "immediate" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Friday following the organization's declaration of famine, which denounced that more than half a million people are facing starvation in the Palestinian enclave.

The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have stressed the "urgent need to take action to launch a large-scale humanitarian response to the worsening situation," which could extend to other areas of the Strip.

"The famine must be stopped at all costs. An immediate ceasefire is needed to end this conflict and save lives," they said in a joint statement expressing their concern over the new Israeli military operation in the area.

They have indicated that this "will only generate further devastating consequences for civilians already facing an existing famine." "Many people may find it impossible to evacuate certain areas," they warned, while stating that by September, more than 640,000 people could be in the famine phase—phase 5 of the ICP, which classifies food security.

Another 1.14 million people in the country will be in Phase 4, just one step away from falling into famine, but also in a situation of maximum emergency, according to these data.

Nearly 98 percent of Gaza's agricultural areas are damaged or inaccessible, and an average of nine out of ten people have had to abandon their homes due to Israeli attacks. Furthermore, food prices are significantly high, and the enclave lacks sufficient fuel or water for cooking.

"People in Gaza have exhausted all means of survival. Hunger and malnutrition are taking lives every day, and the destruction of farmland (…) has made the situation even more dire," warned FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu. "Our priority now must be to provide sustained and secure access to aid. Access to basic food is not a privilege, it's a right," he added.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said the warnings of famine "have been clear for months." "What's urgent is to increase the flow of food to help the most vulnerable," she maintained.

For her part, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed that famine is "a reality for children in Gaza Governorate and a threat in Deir al-Bala and Khan Yunis." "We cannot waste time. Without a ceasefire, famine will continue to spread and more children will die," she explained.

From the WHO, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has clarified that ending the attacks is "an imperative." "The world has been waiting for too long, watching unnecessary deaths caused by hunger. (…) The health system, staffed by hungry and tired people, cannot take any more," he said.

"Hospitals must be protected so they can continue treating patients. The blockades must end, and peace must be restored so the population can begin to heal," he concluded.