The notion of a famine in Gaza, frequently reported by international media and cited in legal actions against Israel, has been robustly challenged by an expert committee within the United Nations. This Famine Review Committee (FRC), composed of leading authorities in nutrition and food security, has meticulously refuted the assertions made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), suggesting that these claims are baseless and driven by flawed data.
Detailed Analysis
In a comprehensive report published on June 4, the FRC detailed significant methodological errors in the IPC’s assessments, which had previously indicated imminent famine conditions in Gaza. The FRC's 18-page analysis criticized the IPC’s assumptions, calculations, and conclusions, underscoring the unreliable nature of their data. The committee pointed out that the IPC overlooked the substantial influx of aid into Gaza, with hundreds of trucks delivering supplies daily, resulting in bustling markets.
UN Committee: No Evidence of Famine In Gaza -
— Robert Spencer (@jihadwatchRS) June 22, 2024
https://t.co/FRW2cJQI4d
Implausible Findings
The FRC report stated unequivocally that the FEWSNET analysis lacks credibility due to its reliance on uncertain and non-convergent evidence. This rigorous scrutiny revealed that the conditions necessary to declare a famine, such as extreme food scarcity and high mortality rates, were not met. The report highlighted a glaring discrepancy: while the IPC suggested severe food shortages, actual food availability and market activity in Gaza told a different story.
Additional Insights
Simultaneously, an Israeli study identified Hamas as a significant threat to food security in Gaza, emphasizing that the issues lie in the distribution and accessibility of food aid rather than in its supply. The study, which will undergo peer review, found that internal factors like theft and mismanagement by Hamas are the primary obstacles to food security in Gaza, rather than any external restrictions imposed by Israel.
1. IPC published review Jun 4 concluding famine was not "plausible" with no "supporting evidence." IPC is partnership of NGOs & UN bodies that assess global food security and was main source of famine claim. Media predictably totally ignored report. H/T @MarkZlochin @AviBittMD pic.twitter.com/iENbNHiKnS
— Aizenberg (@Aizenberg55) June 17, 2024
Misleading IPC Reports
The FRC’s findings also discredited the IPC’s reports that triggered international outrage against Israel. These reports, which alleged a phase five famine scenario in Gaza, were based on questionable assumptions and omitted critical data, such as food deliveries from commercial and private sources and aid distributed by the World Food Programme.
Legal and Political Implications
The faulty IPC data has been used to support legal actions against Israel, including South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice and calls for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders by the International Criminal Court prosecutor. However, the FRC's report undermines these legal claims by exposing the flawed basis of the famine allegations.
The content of over 1,000 aid trucks is still waiting on the Gazan side of Kerem Shalom to be picked up by UN aid agencies. There's no famine in Gaza but if it starts, it's because the UN is working hard to start one. pic.twitter.com/K7gx6SyM2Y
— Uri Kurlianchik (@VerminusM) June 20, 2024
Conclusion
The comprehensive analysis by the UN’s Famine Review Committee provides a clear and authoritative refutation of the claims of famine in Gaza. By highlighting methodological flaws, questionable data, and overlooked aid deliveries, the FRC has dismantled the narrative that Israel is intentionally starving Gazans. Instead, the focus shifts to the internal mismanagement and obstruction by Hamas, which presents a more accurate picture of the challenges faced in ensuring food security in Gaza.
