Frauds: UN Dropped Measurement for ‘Famine’ by 50%, Giving Media What It Needed to Show Israel Starving Children
The United Nations-backed integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently lowered the standards for declaring a famine, leading several major media outlets to report that a famine is unfolding in Gaza amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. The IPC’s July 29 report stated that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is happening in Gaza, citing evidence of widespread starvation and malnutrition. However, investigative reports reveal that the IPC adjusted its criteria by introducing a new measurement-mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)-and halving the threshold for malnourished children from 30% to 15%, making it easier to declare famine. Previously, the IPC relied on weight-for-height metrics and a 30% malnutrition rate to define famine in crises such as in Somalia and South Sudan.
Data from Gaza show malnutrition rates just above 15% only in Gaza City, while other areas remain well below previous famine thresholds. Critics argue that these lowered standards amount to lowering the bar for declaring famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contends that Israel has allowed substantial food aid into Gaza but accuses Hamas of diverting supplies and causing suffering, asserting there is no intentional starvation or genocide. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation highlights that nearly 122 million meals have been distributed to Gaza residents, with local Palestinians expressing appreciation for the aid’s accessibility. The situation remains politically and humanitarianly complex,with differing narratives on the causes and realities of hunger in gaza.
A U.N.-affiliated watchdog group recently lowered its measurement of what constitutes a famine, enabling media outlets to report that Gazans are experiencing it due to their war with Israel.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) — a network including the United Nations, nonprofit groups, and western governments like the United Kingdom and Germany — concluded in a July 29 report “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,” claiming that “mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.”
Several media outlets — such as ABC News, The New York Times, and CNN — then ran with “worst-case scenario of famine” in their coverage, citing the report.
The “worst-case scenario of famine” is unfolding in Gaza, according to a warning issued Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global initiative monitoring hunger with the backing of governments.
Read more: https://t.co/5tzMBAPtNb pic.twitter.com/YuG7Md7tZn
— ABC News (@ABC) July 29, 2025
The Washington Free Beacon reported that the IPC changed its criteria for what constitutes a famine.
“Unlike previous IPC reports on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the July report includes a metric — known as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) — the agency has not used in other reports on Gaza to determine whether a famine is taking place,” the outlet said.
“The report also includes a lowered threshold for the proportion of children who must be considered malnourished for the IPC to declare a famine, down to 15 percent from 30 percent. The 15 percent threshold had previously been used to indicate a famine was likely,” according to the Free Beacon.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification secretly slashed the famine threshold by 50%, making it easier to declare famine in Gaza. Mainstream media ran with this narrative—did they check the numbers or see that the threshold had been changed, or did they simply… pic.twitter.com/rde3kOSKez
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) August 13, 2025
IPC examined people from the Gazan cities of Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City.
“A chart included in the notice shows less than 8 percent of children in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis suffer from acute malnutrition ‘based on MUAC.’ That figure is 16.5 percent in Gaza City, just above the new 15-percent threshold but well below the 30-percent level the IPC traditionally uses,” the Free Beacon noted.
Previously, the IPC relied on height and weight to determine if a famine was occurring in a region.
An aid worker told the Free Beacon that when the IPC issued famine declarations in the past, such as in Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, MUAC was not used.
“In all of the famines that have been declared, they’ve been using the 30-percent global malnutrition measurement, most of which have been based on the weight-for-height metric — which, again, is much harder to collect, much more burdensome, and it’s 30 percent,” the source said, in contrast to the 15 percent threshold.
“I think many people would say it’s like lowering the bar or making it more possible, essentially, to declare whatever it is that they’re going to declare.”
Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer upbraided the Israeli government’s decision to occupy Gaza City, given the “humanitarian crisis.” He instead called for an immediate cease-fire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded, saying Israel has allowed 1.9 million tons of food into the Gaza Strip, but Hamas is stealing much of it.
“The only deliberate starvation policy that we see in Gaza is the starving of our hostages,” he told reporters on Wednesday at a Newsmax event in Jerusalem. “You can see that when you look at their captors and you see our emaciated hostages and these corpulent tormentors.”
🚨 Must watch.
Bibi Netanyahu exposes the truth:
“The only people being deliberately starved in Gaza are our hostages…
Open your eyes to a simple fact: Hamas lies.”
Spot on and the whole world needs to see this.Repost ↺ and drop a 🇮🇱 if you stand with Israel. pic.twitter.com/HOhs1RZlqr
— Jews Fight Back 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@JewsFightBack) August 11, 2025
Netanyahu said Aug. 10, “There is no starvation. There is no genocide. If we wanted to starve, two million Gazans would not be alive today after 20 months. If we wanted to commit genocide, it would take one afternoon.”
The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation posted on social media on Thursday that it has delivered nearly 122 million meals to date, including 1.5 million that day.
Today’s GHF Operational Update:
➡️ Nearly 122 million meals distributed to date
➡️ More than 1.5 million meals delivered today
“To date, we have delivered nearly 122 million meals to the people of Gaza. I continue to be humbled by the brave and dedicated work of our… pic.twitter.com/1dV4eJK8jL
— Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (@GHFUpdates) August 14, 2025
The GHF reposted a video of a Palestinian woman praising the efficiency of the operation to a journalist.
A Palestinian described her feelings about GHF: “I swear to God, in the past, we could not get this [aid], I’d not find this. We can’t get this at all. Now, we come here to collect and leave. And the workers here are helpful. The security too… We request, they provide.” pic.twitter.com/WeymRcdxB1
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) August 14, 2025
“I swear to God, in the past, we could not get this [aid], I’d not find this. We can’t get this at all,” she said, according to a translator. “Now, we come here to collect and leave. And the workers here are helpful. The security too … We request, they provide.”
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