Taoiseach Micheál Martin.RollingNews.ie

Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin has responded this morning, Friday, August 22, after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed there is a famine in the Gaza Governorate.

"Following confirmation of famine in Gaza City for the first time by the UN-backed IPC, Israel has an absolute obligation to allow the people there unfettered and urgent access to humanitarian aid, medical and food supplies," the Taoiseach said in a statement on Friday morning.

"Famine in Gaza was both entirely predictable and preventable.

"The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has been raised to Phase 5, the highest possible level of food insecurity, in what has been described as an 'entirely man-made' and 'catastrophic' situation.

"Israel must stop its attacks on, and bombardment of, Gaza City.

"The withholding of food and water from civilians is collective punishment of the people of Gaza, and a war crime.

"The retention of hostages by Hamas is also a war crime, and it is long past time for their unconditional release and an end to this war.

"The inhumanity we are witnessing in Gaza has shocked the world. The maiming, mutilation and killing of children simply has to stop. The war must end now."

The UN-backed IPC is a global partnership of 21 organizations and intergovernmental institutions that works to provide food security and nutritional analyses for decision-making in more than 30 countries facing food crises.

In its report on Friday, the IPC said that its Famine Review Committee (FRC) had determined that Famine is currently occurring in the Gaza Governorate with "reasonable evidence."

The Famine, the IPC says, is a Phase 5, the highest phase of its Acute Food Insecurity scale. Phase 5 is classified when an area has 20% of households facing an extreme lack of food, 30% of children suffering from acute malnutrition, and two or four non-trauma deaths for every 10,000 each day.

"Over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death," the IPC said on Friday.

The FRC also projects Famine (IPC Phase 5) thresholds to be crossed in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.

"As this Famine is entirely man-made, it can be halted and reversed," the IPC report states.

"The time for debate and hesitation has passed, starvation is present and is rapidly spreading.

"There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that an immediate, at-scale response is needed.

"Any further delay—even by days—will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of Famine-related mortality.

"If a ceasefire is not implemented to allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in the Gaza Strip, and if essential food supplies, and basic health, nutrition, and WASH services are not restored immediately, avoidable deaths will increase exponentially."

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Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oren Marmorstein has slammed the IPC's findings as a "'tailor-made' fabricated report to fit Hamas’s fake campaign."

Marmorstein said: "The entire IPC document is based on Hamas lies laundered through organizations with vested interests.

"There is no famine in Gaza."