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SvennoJ on 22 August 2025
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UN Aid chief declares famine in Gaza, BBC reporter says ‘Israel denies this’


UN Aid Chief Tom Fletcher today held an emergency press conference to declare that Gaza was officially in the grip of a famine caused by the forced starvation of Benjamin Netanyahu. However, when he opened the floor for questions from reporters, it was the BBC representative, Imogen Foulkes, who used the opportunity to say that Israel had consistently denied the reports of famine in Gaza adding that even ordinary Israelis didn’t think there was any shortage of food faced by Palestinians.

UN: "There's starvation in Gaza." BBC: "Well that's not what the people doing the starving are saying."

"We've seen the murderer committing the murder. The murderer has admitted in his own language that he committed the murder. Still, if the murderer now says he didn't do it, who are we to question it?" - the BBC

UK’s Lammy says Gaza famine ‘utterly ‘horrifying’, calls for ceasefire

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says the confirmation of famine by the UN in parts of Gaza is “utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable”, and that Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid has created a “man-made catastrophe”.

“The Government of Israel can and must immediately act to stop the situation deteriorating any further. It must immediately and sustainably allow unhindered food, medical supplies, fuel, and all types of aid to reach those who so desperately need them,” he added.

Lammy reiterated calls for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire”, warning that Israel’s military operations in Gaza City will worsen famine and jeopardise the safety of captives.


‘We are in a race against time’: FAO expert

The UN is hosting a briefing with experts on the IPC’s findings of famine in Gaza.

Rein Paulsen, director of Office of Emergencies and Resilience at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), explained that the analysis was conducted by 50 experts from 19 organisations.

He also stressed that the report was subjected to standard IPC protocols to ensure “technical rigour and neutrality of analysis”.

“This latest analysis outlines in clear detail the scale, nature and the magnitude of the famine unfolding,” Paulsen told reporters.

“And I would simply stress and underscore that the message of the analysis that you read in the report is that we are in a race against time, that every effort must be made for immediate and decisive action to prevent further loss of life and alleviate suffering.”