UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a statement on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert, saying it confirms that Gaza is on the “brink of famine”, Al Jazeera reports.

“The facts are in — and they are undeniable. Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. This is not a warning. It is a reality unfolding before our eyes,” he said.

“The trickle of aid must become an ocean. Food, water, medicine, and fuel must flow in waves and without obstruction. This nightmare must end. Ending this worst-case scenario will take the best efforts of all parties now,” he said.

Guterres also reiterated his call for an “immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all captives, and full humanitarian access across Gaza.

Displaced Palestinian mother Samah Matar holds her malnourished son Youssef, who suffers from cerebral palsy, at a school where they are sheltered. — Reuters
Displaced Palestinian mother Samah Matar holds her malnourished son Youssef, who suffers from cerebral palsy, at a school where they are sheltered. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Need for dialogue
06 Aug, 2026

Need for dialogue

THE interior minister’s comments at an Islamabad seminar last week have sparked many a conversation about the ...
Bad press
06 Aug, 2026

Bad press

THE government’s move to impose restrictions on international media will not only alienate the foreign press, it...
Automobile concerns
06 Aug, 2026

Automobile concerns

PAKISTAN’S automobile industry is at a critical juncture. Sharp cuts in tariffs on the import of completely built...
State of confusion
Updated 05 Aug, 2026

State of confusion

FROM the looks of it, America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran. US...
Pension decision
05 Aug, 2026

Pension decision

THE government’s decision to formally operationalise the new Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme is a step...
Preventable deaths
05 Aug, 2026

Preventable deaths

THE deaths of 144 children from measles and diphtheria in Karachi during the first seven months of the year expose a...