Famine is ‘imminent’ here in north Gaza – and I’m watching it begin to unfold | Mahmoud Shalabi

An entirely human-made tragedy is under way as the world looks on. Israel must open the crossings for aid and aid workers now

Here in the north of Gaza, there is virtually no food available. People are resorting to eating animal feed or bird seed to stay alive. For some, there is only grass left to eat. Doctors have been warning for months that the Israeli military's five-month long bombardment and siege of Gaza would end in hunger and starvation. Today, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has reported that famine is imminent" and will take hold in the north of Gaza over the coming two months. Half of the population across Gaza now faces catastrophic levels of hunger, nearly twice as many people as reported in November. Children are already dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to throttle aid at the border crossing into Gaza while the international community watches on. The tiny amount of aid that is allowed to enter is either being prevented from getting to people, especially in the north, or is being chaotically distributed, leaving people desperately scrambling for whatever they can get their hands on. This is stripping my community of its dignity while leaving the most vulnerable without any help at all. Hundreds of people have even paid with their lives trying to get food for their families.

Mahmoud Shalabi is a senior programme director for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in Gaza. This article was co-produced with his colleagues in London, based on WhatsApp messages and voice notes

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