The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Famine in Gaza
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, urged the media to read the new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report in full, and to see it in human terms, rather than just mere numbers. This report was an irrefutable testimony: famine was unfolding in Gaza now, the famine which could have been prevented if only aid had been allowed in. It was a famine within few hundred meters of food and on fertile land. It was a famine that hit the most vulnerable first, each with a name and with a story, stripping people of dignity before stripping them of life. It was a famine that the humanitarians had repeatedly warned of, but that international media had not been allowed to cover from within. It was a famine in 2025, watched over by drones and other modern technology. It was a famine on everyone’s watch; it was the world’s famine which asked everyone “What did you do?”. It was a predictable and preventable famine, caused by cruelty, enabled by indifference, and sustained by complicity. This famine should shame the world to do better. Mr. Fletcher asked for an immediate ceasefire and for the opening of all crossings to allow for unimpeded aid access. It was too late for far too many, but not for everyone in Gaza. “Enough! For humanity’s sake, let us in,” concluded Mr. Fletcher.
Responding to questions from the media, Mr. Fletcher said this was a moment of collective shame. The international community had been watching it happen in real time, and it would have been even more closely watched had international media been allowed into Gaza. This famine could have been prevented had all the trucks with aid been let in. People in Gaza did not need to read the IPC report; they had known too well their own situation for many weeks and months. It was important to recognize that there was a growing constituency in Israel that supported allowing aid into Gaza.
On 6 August, UN humanitarian agencies and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had held a meeting at the US Mission in New York, confirmed Mr. Fletcher. Experienced humanitarians had a know-how and knew how to deliver aid; what others did was up to them, but UN humanitarians had to be allowed to do their job in accordance with the established, tried and tested humanitarian standards.
OCHA was in regular contact with US officials, said Mr. Fletcher, and US President Trump had issued a clear instruction that the starvation in Gaza ought to be ended. Humanitarians would need to be allowed to operate at scale, he reiterated. During the ceasefire earlier this year, 600 to 700 trucks had been brought in Gaza every single day; the same should be allowed to happen now, as this was essential to end the starvation. Commercial access at scale into Gaza was also needed, as well as access for UN humanitarian partners. When calling for unimpeded access into Gaza, it was a call for the entire humanitarian community, including NGO partners.
The new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on famine in Gaza was further discussed at the UN Geneva press briefing that followed: https://www.unognewsroom.org/story/en/2774/un-geneva-press-briefing-22-august-2025-1
MR. TOM FLETCHER, UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR
Remarks on Gaza at the UN press briefing and Q&A
Watch the press briefing here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13/k130jdmvdz
Geneva, 22 August 2025
[AS DELIVERED]
"Please read the IPC report, cover to cover. Read it in sorrow and in anger. Not as words and numbers but as names and lives. Be in no doubt that this is irrefutable testimony.
It is a famine. The Gaza Famine.
It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel.
It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land.
It is a famine that hits the most vulnerable first. Each with a name, each with a story. That strips people of dignity before it strips them of life. That forces a parent to choose which child to feed. That forces people to risk their lives to seek food.
It is a famine that we repeatedly warned of. But that the international media has not been allowed in to cover. To bear witness.
It is a famine in 2025. A 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history.
It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.
It is a famine on all of our watch. Everyone owns this. The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. It is a famine that asks ‘but what did you do?’ A famine that will and must haunt us all.
It is a predictable and a preventable famine. A famine caused by cruelty, justified by revenge, enabled by indifference and sustained by complicity.
It is a famine that must spur the world to more urgent action. That must shame the world to do better. It is a famine that therefore also asks ‘… and what now will you do?’
My ask, my plea, my demand to Prime Minister Netanyahu and anyone who can reach him:
Enough. Ceasefire. Open the crossings, north and south, all of them. Let us get food and other supplies in, unimpeded and at the massive scale required. End the retribution. It is too late for far too many. But not for everyone in Gaza. Enough. For humanity’s sake, let us in."
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNHCR
End of UNHCR's 77th Annual Executive Committee (ExCom) meeting week
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNICEF , IOM , UNHCR
UN Special Assistant to the Personal Envoy Office (SUDAN): Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan; UNICEF: Dire situation of children in Gaza; IOM: Damaged Homes and Energy Attacks Risk Displacing Ukrainians for this winter; UNHCR: update on EXCOM week
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IOM , UNDRR
UN stresses importance of household preparedness for disaster risk reduction.
1
1
1
Statements , Press Conferences | OHCHR
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNHCR , UNICEF , IFRC , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , IOM , OCHA , WHO
UNHCR – ExCom Meeting, UNICEF – Nepal Recovery, IFRC – Flash Floods, WHO – Mental Health, IOM – South Sudan Floods, OCHA – DRC Humanitarian aid, UNHCR – Sahel Displacement, UNICEF – Yemen Update, IOM – Gaza Shelter, UN Women – Gaza Women, OHCHR – Arrests and detentions of Syrians by Israeli force
2
1
2
Press Conferences | UNCTAD
Presentation of the Trade and Developement Report 2026
Embargoed until 9 October 2026 at 11 a.m. (Geneva Time)
UNCTAD: UNCTAD’s flagship report finds that governments increasingly use industrial, trade, financial and technology policies to pursue economic and national security objectives. Market access and the ability to move into higher-value activities now depend more heavily on technology, finance and geopolitics.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UPU
Release of the State of the Postal Sector Report 2026
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IOM , ITU , UNECE , UNICEF , WHO , WMO
UNICEF: Ebola, DRC - children orphans or separating them from parents and caregivers; IOM: Humanitarian needs in Djibouti amid arrivals from Yemen and increased migrant movements; WHO: Darfur, scale of health needs far exceeds available resources; WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Forum, Bangkok, monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update; UNECE: UN Forum of Mayors; ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026; WHO: child and adolescent obesity guidelines and new global roadmap to tackle pregnancy hypertension, a leading cause of maternal mortality
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , UN WOMEN , UNHCR , WFP , WHO , WTO , UNEP
OCHA – $160M CERF allocation to 12 underfunded crises; UNHCR – 5.8M refugee children remain out of school amid funding cuts; UN Women – Middle East escalation and food security among women/girls; WHO – Gaza supplies and overall situation; WFP – Yemen food insecurity and impact on global hunger ; UNEP - First International Conference of the Global Framework on Chemicals in Geneva | 16-20 November 2026
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNHCR , WHO
Yemen's health system nears collapse amid conflict, causing rising casualties and medicine shortages.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Update by the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WIPO , WHO , UNICEF , UNHCR , IOM , WFP , FAO
WIPO Global Innovation Index 2026 launch and press conference, WHO Composition of influenza vaccines for the 2027 Southern Hemisphere flu season, UNICEF Yemen hunger and malnutrition; UNHCR Sudan displacement into Chad; IOM Ebola and population movements in DRC; WFP emergency food assistance in Nepal; and FAO food loss and waste.