Christian Aid has warned that many more people in Gaza will die of starvation unless the war is ended soon and aid is allowed in unhindered.
It says that some 269 people have already starved to death in Gaza, including at least 112 children.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared a famine in Gaza City this week and described the situation as “entirely man-made”.
According to The Telegraph, an IPC report stated: "After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions, characterised by starvation, destitution and death."
Israel has refuted the declaration of famine, with its Prime Minister saying, “Israel does not have a policy of starvation.”
For Katie Roxburgh, Christian Aid's Programme Manager for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, IPC's declaration of famine comes as no surprise.
“The people of Gaza already knew that they were living through a famine," she said.
"Our colleagues describe the physical pain of hunger after months of surviving on a single small bowl of lentil soup each day.
"They describe family members passing out from fatigue and how malnutrition is causing their hair to fall out in clumps."
She blamed Israel for the situation and condemned moves to take over Gaza City.
“Israel's blockade of Gaza is responsible for this suffering and it is unconscionable that we are now seeing the start of military operations to take over a city in the grip of famine, pushing close to a million people from their homes and exposing them to immense danger," she said.
She added, "Our greatest fear is that unless the war in Gaza is quickly brought to an end, and aid is finally allowed to flood into Gaza unhindered, we are on the precipice of seeing hundreds more unnecessarily perish.”
Christian Aid has launched an appeal and is asking Christians to join its #FastforGaza campaign by fasting for 24 hours or another select period of time once a week.
