Famine in Gaza — A Political and Humanitarian Tipping Point?

“The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.”

That was the conclusion of a July 29 report by the leading global authority on food security, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report found that more than one in three people in Gaza (39 percent) are now going days at a time without eating. More than 500,000 people—nearly a quarter of the population—are enduring famine-like conditions. Malnutrition rates are skyrocketing, and deaths from acute malnutrition are mounting.

This is the direct result of Israel’s policy of preventing sufficient food from entering Gaza. Now, as images of emaciated children flash across screens around the world, will that be enough to generate the political will in Israel, the United States, and Europe to change course? Alternatively, how much worse can this get?

Joining me to discuss the ongoing famine and humanitarian crisis is Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the CEO of Mercy Corps, a major international humanitarian NGO with ongoing operations in Gaza. She explains why famine has taken hold, what can be done to immediately end it, and why this crisis is very much at a tipping point.

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