The worst-case scenario of famine is rapidly unfolding in Gaza, a global hunger monitor warned on Tuesday as the Palestinian death toll from Israel's war in the territory crossed 60,000.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued an alert over the rise in hunger-related deaths in the enclave, saying that access to food and other essentials has plummeted to unprecedented low levels.
“Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip,” the IPC said in a report. “Immediate action must be taken to allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response. This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering,” it added.
The IPC's alert over the dire situation in Gaza has been echoed by other humanitarian organisations. On Tuesday, David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), issued a “stark warning” over deteriorating conditions in the strip.
“The images, testimonies, and statistics from Gaza leave no room for doubt … what we are witnessing is a man-made catastrophe unfolding in real time,” wrote Mr Miliband in a statement. “Children in Gaza are not just hungry; they are starving to death … In the coming days, thousands of Gaza’s children will either be rescued – or allowed to die. That is the choice before us,” he continued.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) also warned on Tuesday that the disaster unfolding in Gaza was “unlike anything we have seen in this century”. Faced with mounting international alarm over the situation, Israel said at the weekend its military would observe “tactical pauses” to allow the delivery of food to Gaza. However, the WFP says none of the supplies entering Gaza reached the agency's warehouses, from where they are sent out for distribution.
“We have not had any trucks make it to the warehouse on July 27; yesterday – July 28 – nothing went through,” a WFP official told The National. “All trucks that went out on July 27 were offloaded en route. We believe it is hungry civilians [who are] desperate and do not trust the system and that they will be able to get anything through distributions.”
On Monday, the US President Donald Trump admitted for the first time that children in Gaza are suffering “real starvation”, amid mounting international criticism of Israel's actions in the strip. “That’s real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Mr Trump said. “We have to get the kids fed.”
His statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied that starvation is happening in the Palestinian territory. “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza,” he claimed in a speech.
The IPC defines famine as a situation in which “at least one in five households have an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution, resulting in extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death”. Its assessments are a critical tool used by the international community to identify and tackle famine conditions worldwide.
In an analysis published in May, the IPC had projected that the entire population of the Gaza Strip would face high levels of acute food insecurity by September, including half a million people facing catastrophe levels, characterised by an extreme lack of food, starvation, destitution and death. A risk of famine was detected in all areas of the Gaza Strip.
Since then, Israeli aerial bombardment and ground operations have intensified, making people’s access to food across Gaza “alarmingly erratic and extremely perilous”, the IPC said. Between May and July, the proportion of households experiencing extreme hunger has doubled. One in three people have been going without food for days at a time, it said in its report.
More than 3,000 children are severely malnourished in Gaza. Hospitals have reported a rapid increase in hunger-related deaths of children under five years old, with at least 16 reported deaths since July 17, according to IPC figures.
The hunger watchdog has also criticised the food distribution mechanism of the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It said distribution sites are located in militarised zones where less than a quarter of the population is located, forcing Palestinians to embark on long, high-risk journeys to collect food items that are not ready to eat and require water and fuel to cook, which are largely unavailable.
Since late May, more than 1,000 people have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza, the majority of them near GHF aid sites, according to the IPC and UN figures.
Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but says it must control it to prevent it from being stolen by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, as a justification for launching the GHF's operations. An internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of US-provided humanitarian supplies, challenging Israel's claims.
Israel has vowed to continue its military campaign until Hamas's military and governing capabilities in Gaza are destroyed. Israeli attacks have killed at least 60,034 Palestinians since the war began on October 7, 2023, Gaza's health ministry said in its latest update on Tuesday. The number of people injured reached 145,870, it said.
On Sunday, Israel declared a "tactical” pause in military operations in parts of Gaza and promised to open secure routes for aid. It claimed that more than 120 lorryloads of food aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies in Gaza. However, UN agencies did not confirm the amount of aid, while residents reported supplies being taken from lorries before they reached warehouses.
The International Rescue Committee has warned that limited “tactical pauses”, air drops and other symbolic gestures are “dangerously inadequate in the face of Gaza’s accelerating hunger crisis”.
“With child deaths from malnutrition surging and famine conditions prevalent, to be meaningful, any halt in fighting must end Israel’s near-total blockade and allow sustained, large-scale aid and commercial supplies through safe land routes. Fuel, food, clean water and electricity must reach all areas of Gaza – brief pauses won’t cut it,” the IRC said.
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20electric%20motors%20with%20102kW%20battery%20pack%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E570hp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20890Nm%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%20428km%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C700%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SCE%20Studio%20Cambridge%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%2C%20PlayStation%204%20and%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
