UN Declares Famine 'Over,' While Gaza Still Starves
The UN's recent declaration marking famine 'over' in Gaza (Al-Monitor, Dec 2025) might sound like good news, until you hit the fine print: 'situation remains critical,' with 'more than 70 percent of the population... living in makeshift shelters.' Historically, humanitarian agencies have been known to adjust definitions, or simply throw up their hands when political will for actual relief wanes.
Remember when they claimed 'progress' in Darfur as the death toll mounted? This isn't improved access; it's international bodies trying to manage expectations while the slow-motion atrocity continues. How many calories per day constitute 'not a famine' for an entire trapped population? One might wonder if this semantic gymnastics allows certain world leaders (looking at you, Biden admin) to
sidestep uncomfortable questions about their unequivocal support for the besieging power. It seems collective punishment isn't a famine until it hits a convenient statistical threshold—then it's just 'dire consequences.'