Action Aid International said that 70% of the population of northern Gaza are on the brink of famine unless urgent measures are taken to facilitate the delivery of aid on a large scale and avoid catastrophic hunger.

It added in a statement issued today, Tuesday, that famine is imminent in the northern governorates and is expected to occur at any time between mid-March and May 2024.

The organization indicated that the Israeli forces prevented thousands of tons of aid from crossing overland from Rafah to northern Gaza, where the crisis has intensified over the past few months.

It pointed out that, according to United Nations officials, a quarter of the citizens in Gaza are one step away from famine, and UNICEF also reported that one out of every three children suffers from acute malnutrition, and the Integrated Interim Classification of Food Security indicated that almost all families reduce her meals so her children could eat, while the report also noted a sharp rise in child deaths, which IPC experts believe could signal the imminent onset of famine.

ActionAid confirmed that there are many women suffering from health problems, which causes weight loss problems for them and for their children. Children are also born weighing less than 3.5 kilograms, which is the average normal weight for a newborn baby, as a result of a lack of nutritious foods, especially for pregnant women. 

It continued: Although there were attempts to deliver food and aid to those in need, reports of attacks launched by Israeli forces on UN aid distribution centers threatened the safety of aid delivery throughout Gaza, leaving many without life-saving aid such as food and medical supplies.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA) has recorded an unprecedented number of violations against its employees and facilities since the start of the war, as at least 165 UNRWA team members were killed, and more than 150 facilities were targeted.

About 2,000 doctors and medical staff in northern Gaza are also facing severe famine, leaving them exhausted and unable to feed themselves properly while working around the clock to save lives.

The lack of aid and supplies available in Gaza has also led to high market prices for necessities such as baby formula, diapers, flour and other basic items.

Reham Jaafari, Communications and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine, said: Today represents a grim milestone for millions of Palestinians who are now living through one of the worst disasters in living memory. In just six months, much of the Gaza Strip is on the brink of an entirely avoidable famine before our eyes. Palestinians also live six months of extreme hunger - an endless nightmare that claims the lives of children while women with severe malnutrition give birth to stillborn fetuses. The world is still watching in silence. Today's announcement represents a collective stain on the conscience of humanity and a disastrous indictment of Western countries that have slept through this disaster while offering little action aimed at averting an imminent famine. World leaders are urgently called upon to wake up and pay attention to the sheer scale of this disaster after so many dire warnings in recent months. Waiting for confirmation of famine to take urgent steps to increase aid is untenable – we need an immediate and permanent ceasefire now.