Hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza and Sudan are at risk of famine. But what does that mean exactly?
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE F-WORD.
Right now, hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza and Sudan are at risk of famine. But what does that mean exactly and why is focusing on the F-word so contentious?
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Here are 10 facts to know about famine:
1. WHAT IS FAMINE?
Famine is the most severe level of food insecurity a population can face. It means:
- 20% of the population are facing extreme food shortages and have exhausted all coping strategies;
- More than 30% of children are acutely malnourished;
- And two people out of 10,000 people – or four children out of 10,000 children – are dying a day because of hunger.
2. HOW IS A FAMINE DECLARED?
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) - an initiative of U.N. agencies, regional bodies and aid organisations - is the international system that monitors and classifies food and malnutrition crises.
The IPC has five classifications, referred to as ‘Phases’, which range from minimal food insecurity (Phase 1) through to Catastrophic food insecurity or Famine (Phase 5). Famine will only be classified when all three of the thresholds for hunger, malnutrition, and mortality outlined above are met.
Although the IPC perform the analysis that can classify a famine, only the UN and government authorities can officially declare one.
3. WHEN WAS THE LAST FAMINE DECLARATION?
Since the IPC warning system was created 20 years ago, only two famines have been officially declared by UN or government authorities:
- In parts of southern Somalia in 2011, when 260,000 people died, over half of whom were children under 5.
- And in parts of northern South Sudan in 2017, when 80,000 people were at risk.
4. WHY ARE FAMINE DECLARATIONS SO RARE?
The decision to formally declare a famine is highly political. There are many cases of famine thresholds being met without a formal declaration, as the political will required to declare simply is not there. Today, conflict is the biggest driver of hunger and in many cases, starvation is used as a weapon of war; through siege tactics, denying aid access, and bombing food production infrastructure. This is against International Humanitarian Law and thus helps explain why Governments often block famine declarations.
Famine declarations are also particularly complex in conflict and siege settings like Gaza and Sudan, where fighting and insecurity mean experts simply cannot safely access communities to gather the necessary data to carry out the analysis.
Drinking water station in Transit Centre 2 in Renk, South Sudan. Marie-Sophie Schwarzer / Save the Children
5. DOES A FAMINE DECLARATION ENFORCE ACTION?
No. The declaration of a famine carries no binding obligations on the UN or international governments to take action or commit funding. It serves to focus global attention on the crisis.
6. WHY IS IT DANGEROUS TO OBSESS OVER THE F-WORD?
Beyond the very practical challenges already outlined – like the frequent lack of reliable data or political action – getting caught up in whether famine is declared is hugely problematic. It means we’re willing the worst-case scenario to unfold and only focusing on a small fragment of the bigger, alarming picture.
If a famine is declared, it will already be too late for many. Children are famine’s first victims and will already be dying because of malnutrition and disease at this point. More than 100,000 people died before famine was officially declared in Somalia in 2011. There are many warning signs before this point, and a failure to address those first is unacceptable.
What’s more, in contexts classified in IPC Phase 3 or 4, one and two steps before a potential famine classification, children will already be facing life-threatening malnutrition or even death.
In short, averting famine cannot be the only ambition. This must not be a benchmark we are comfortable with. We must protect children from slipping into hunger and malnutrition in the first place by addressing the underlying drivers of food insecurity and acting on early warning signs before it is too late.
7. WHAT IS THE LATEST ANALYSIS ON GAZA AND SUDAN? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FACING IPC PHASES 3, 4 or 5?
In both Gaza and Sudan, months of violent conflict, coupled with severely restricted access and denials of aid have triggered record levels of life-threatening hunger.
In June, new data from the IPC revealed that in Gaza, 9 months of Israeli bombardment and near-total siege have left almost the entire population (96%) facing severe food shortages (IPC 3+), with more than 495,000 people, including children, facing the most severe levels (IPC 5).
While in Sudan, 14 months of conflict have turned Sudan’s breadbasket into battlefields, leaving 3 in 4 children – or 16.4 million –facing severe food shortages (IPC 3+) – a number which has almost doubled in just 6 months. This includes 355,000 children who are now facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC 5).
In both contexts, the IPC have reported that a lack of data to verify child malnutrition and death rates meant it was not possible to determine if thresholds for a famine classification were met.
Donkey carts delivering goods and people over the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Marie-Sophie Schwarzer / Save the Children
8. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CHILDREN IN GAZA AND SUDAN?
It means the warning signs have been and gone. It means hundreds of thousands of children who have managed to dodge bullets and bombs are now facing death by starvation and disease. It means it’s already too late for many – children’s lives have been lost.
And for those still fighting to survive, time is quickly running out to prevent long-lasting impacts. Malnutrition can cause stunting, impede mental and physical development, and weaken immune systems. At the same time, children and families are often forced to take desperate measures to survive when they can’t access food. In Sudan, for example, children are being recruited into armed groups with the promise of food and protection, exposing them to devastating violence and harm.
9. WHAT IS SAVE THE CHILDREN DOING TO HELP?
We have been supporting Palestinian and Sudanese children since 1953 and 1983 respectively, providing emergency support as well as safety nets to help protect families from the worst impacts of hunger.
Right now, in both Gaza and Sudan, where possible we’re screening and providing treatment for malnutrition, giving families food packages and cash to buy food, and delivering other lifesaving support.
However, the basic conditions to reach families at the scale and quality needed are simply not in place.
We know how to protect children from starvation. We know how to prevent and treat malnutrition. But we aren’t being given the opportunity to do it due to severe and significant aid restrictions and heavy fighting continuing across Gaza and Sudan.
Omar* and sons Ali* and Ahmed* inspecting the food parcel in Al-Mawasi, Gaza. Save the Children.
10. WHAT MUST BE DONE TO PROTECT CHILDREN IN GAZA AND SUDAN NOW?
Aid and access to aid is the difference between life and death for children in Gaza and Sudan right now. It’s also an obligation under International Humanitarian Law. We need an immediate, definitive ceasefire and urgent improvements in aid access, or more children’s lives will be lost.
We also need an immediate increase in funding, particularly in Sudan where halfway through the year, only 17% of annual funds required to support people in need have been secured.
