In a startling revelation reported by JNS, a United Nations official has admitted to a lack of concrete data supporting claims of famine in Gaza, potentially undermining accusations that Israel has intentionally starved Palestinians in the region.
Arif Husain, chief economist at the UN World Food Programme, acknowledged in a press briefing that there are currently no available figures on deaths by starvation in Gaza. "It's not even a matter of being available. I don't think that they are even collected," Husain told JNS.
This admission comes in the wake of a new report on Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which claimed that 495,000 Gazans are "still facing" famine. However, the report's own data contradicts this claim, instead projecting that this number of Gazans may face famine in the coming months.
The IPC's assessments have been called into question by its own Famine Review Committee, which found that previous famine projections were not plausible due to incorrect assumptions, misinterpretation of data, and a significant omission of food entering Gaza through commercial and private sectors.
To determine if an area has reached Phase 5 food insecurity, classified as famine, the (IPC uses three key benchmarks. At least two of these must be met: Concerning death rates, a minimum of two adults or four children per 10,000 people dying from starvation daily. Second, at least 20% of the population experiences a severe lack of food. Third, malnutrition levels exceed 30% of the population.
However, in a revealing exchange during a press briefing following the release of the latest IPC report, Husain acknowledged that none of these three critical benchmarks are currently being met in Gaza. However, Husain downplayed the importance of classification: "Whether it is classified as a famine or not is not the point," he stated. "We must act and continue to act to avert a famine."
Despite the lack of supporting data, the IPC maintains that a "high risk of famine persists across the whole Gaza Strip" and projects that about 96% of Gazans will face "high levels of acute food insecurity through September 2024."
These revelations raise significant questions about the accuracy of food insecurity claims in Gaza and the accusations leveled against Israel. The International Criminal Court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, had previously cited the accusation of intentional starvation as a primary reason for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Mark Zlochin, a computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher, criticized the IPC's projections, stating they appear to be "based on the assumption that there won't be a major change in the circumstances." He added, "They basically justify the failure of the predictions by saying that there was a significant increase in the amount of aid going into Gaza, and this was what reversed the trend."
