The head of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, acknowledged that famine had begun in Gaza, which is being subjected to a devastating Israeli war, while officials in the White House saw it as “imminent.”

In a testimony on the subject in Congress on Thursday, Power touched on the recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) prepared by United Nations organizations, which warned of the approaching famine in Gaza.

Power stated that the methodology used by the IPC is “reliable.”

In response to a member of parliament's question, "Has the famine started in Gaza then?", Power answered yes and said there was no hunger among children in Gaza before October 7, 2023.

Power stated that the rate of hunger among children has risen to 33% and that it is not possible to determine the true numbers due to barriers to access.