Nigeria TV Info — International News

UN Declares Famine in Gaza, First Ever in Middle East

GENEVA — The United Nations on Friday, August 22, 2025, officially declared a famine in Gaza, marking the first-ever famine in the Middle East. UN experts warned that over 500,000 people in the Palestinian territory are facing “catastrophic” levels of hunger.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said the crisis was “entirely preventable” and should “haunt us all.”

Fletcher accused Israel of systematically blocking aid deliveries, stressing that food supplies could not reach Gaza because of what he described as “deliberate obstruction.”

“This famine should never have happened,” he said. “It is not the result of a lack of food globally but of choices made to deny civilians access to life-saving assistance.”

The declaration follows months of escalating humanitarian concerns in Gaza, where international agencies have repeatedly warned of severe food shortages, collapsing health services, and rising child malnutrition.

The UN said the recognition of famine is expected to intensify pressure on world powers to push for unhindered humanitarian access and a lasting ceasefire in the region.