Half a million people in Gaza face starvation risk: report

• Nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, 2.15 million people, faces "high levels of acute food insecurity" through September 2024, per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a group of governments, UN agencies, and aid groups that monitor global hunger.
• 22% of the population, more than 495,000 people, face "catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity."

State of play: Nutrition status slightly improved in April and May, which "should not allow for complacency about reduced risk of famine in the coming weeks and months," the IPC report said.

• "If anything, the prolonged nature of the crisis means the risk of famine remains at least as high as at any time during the last nine months."

What they're saying: The IPC urged unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone in the Gaza Strip.

• It also called for the restoration of market infrastructure and bakeries, as well as the rehabilitation of food production systems.
• Most of Gaza's population has been internally displaced by the conflict, and the economy has largely ceased to function.

Zoom in: While more aid came into Gaza in May, the quantity of goods accessible to the most vulnerable people likely shrunk, the IPC report said.

• Even households that do have sporadic access to food face challenges like shortages of clean water and cooking gas.

Go deeper: UN program pauses food distribution from Gaza pier, citing safety concerns