Gaza No Longer in Famine: A Humanitarian Miracle, Or a Statistical Whitewash?
The New Arab, citing the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), reports Gaza is no longer in famine, suggesting 'aid access improves.' This classification follows weeks of unprecedented starvation, which the IPC itself confirmed was an 'imminent' famine until this recent re-assessment. The IPC's 'reclassification,' announced after aid organizations warned of data access issues and
the destruction of infrastructure for assessment, conveniently arrived just as the international community ramped up calls for humanitarian intervention. The original 'famine' designation, for example, came after months of Israeli government restrictions on food, water, and fuel, leading to preventable deaths among children. Senator Chuck Schumer, who in 2023 received $25,000 from AIPAC according
to OpenSecrets.org, called for aid in early 2024, but not before months of blockades. One might wonder if the definition of 'famine' softened just enough to make headlines.