The UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) recently conducted a review into the claims by international famine monitoring organizations that Gaza was experiencing widespread famine and severe malnutrition during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The review found that these claims were not substantiated by the data from the very organizations making the accusations, which showed no evidence of famine.
The report criticized the organizations involved for using “incomplete or inaccurate data,” applying inconsistent methods, failing to incorporate updated information, and showing “potential bias” in how they interpreted and presented their findings. These reports were used in legal proceedings against Israel, creating significant legal challenges for the country.
At the onset of the war, both the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), linked to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), created by USAID, issued several reports. These warned that famine was imminent or already taking place in Gaza in the latter half of 2024.
From May 2024, Israeli academics and health experts began questioning the credibility of these reports, pointing out that they ignored key data on aid supplies and relied on dubious sources for their findings.
According to the UKLFI review, which was published last week, there was no famine in Gaza during the war, as defined by IPC standards. The level of acute malnutrition was only slightly higher than pre-war levels.
The inaccurate reports from IPC and FEWS NET were referenced in legal actions taken against Israel by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of war crimes.
UKLFI’s report urged that future assessments of food security in conflict zones should strive for greater accuracy and objectivity to ensure that international responses are based on facts, not exaggerated claims.
Following the October 7 Hamas invasion, Israel launched a significant military campaign against Gaza, initially limiting the flow of aid. However, after two weeks, humanitarian supplies began entering the region.
Two of the most problematic reports on famine were issued by the IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC) in March and November 2024. The March report claimed that famine was “projected and imminent,” particularly in northern Gaza, and stated that 677,000 people were already in Phase 5 food insecurity.
Had this been true, it would have meant that at least 135 people were dying from starvation daily in Gaza during March 2024.
The IPC Special Brief from March projected that 1.1 million people would be in Phase 5 catastrophe from March to July 2024, which would have meant 221 people dying from starvation daily during that period.
In November 2024, the FRC warned of an “imminent and substantial likelihood of famine,” while FEWS NET published an alert saying a famine scenario was unfolding in northern Gaza.
However, UKLFI’s review found numerous problems with these reports, such as errors in food supply data and misclassifications of famine levels.
In June 2024, the FRC released an updated report stating that there was no evidence of famine occurring, despite earlier predictions. The March report had failed to provide any mortality figures related to malnutrition, and the death toll cited was significantly lower than what would be expected under the reported famine conditions.
The June report referenced a mortality rate from all causes, including both military action and malnutrition, but this only corresponded to Phase 3 food insecurity at most, according to UKLFI.
The UKLFI review pointed out that FRC and the World Food Program had access to non-trauma mortality data but chose not to release it.
The March report also failed to consider food supplied by the private sector in northern Gaza, alongside humanitarian aid. This oversight was highlighted in a public health study published by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
The March FRC report was cited by both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in legal proceedings against Israel, particularly in the genocide case brought by South Africa and the arrest warrants issued against Israeli officials.
The November FRC report made similar claims of famine but failed to include any mortality data to back them up. It stated that a malnutrition indicator showed Phase 3 malnutrition across Gaza, but did not provide detailed numbers.
In a November Special Brief, the FRC stated that acute malnutrition had increased by “ten times” compared to pre-war levels. However, UKLFI pointed out that this figure was based on a miscalculation, as the pre-war malnutrition rate was 4%, not the 1% cited in the report.
Data from August and September 2024 showed that malnutrition in northern Gaza was at 2%, indicative of IPC Phase 1, and 5% across Gaza, which was only slightly higher than the pre-war rate, according to UKLFI.
The UKLFI report concluded that there was no famine in Gaza as defined by the IPC, and that levels of acute malnutrition were only slightly elevated compared to pre-war figures.
The report also highlighted that the IPC and FEWS NET had a pattern of overestimating and misrepresenting the food security situation in Gaza, due to reliance on inaccurate data, inconsistent methods, and potential bias in their findings.
These mistakes led to an exaggerated portrayal of the food crisis in Gaza, which was used to influence international opinion and policy.
{Matzav.com}