Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza six months ago, the UN and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Palestinians were at risk of famine.
This week, the director of USAID became the first American official to publicly say that famine had started in parts of the enclave.
Samantha Power told US Congress that the findings of a UN-backed report, which said that people in northern Gaza were already facing famine, were “credible.”
The report, released last month by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), warned that 1.1 million Gazans faced “catastrophic hunger.”
“The famine threshold for household acute food insecurity has already been far exceeded,” the report said, back in March. It predicted that without a ceasefire, the entire population of Gaza would face famine by July.
Since then, humanitarian agencies have warned that the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate following the failure to secure a ceasefire in the enclave during Ramadan.
With officials continuing to warn of continuing or impending famine in Gaza, here is an explanation of what they mean.
What is a famine?
Famine refers to a situation where there is extreme or widespread scarcity of food.
This leads to acute malnutrition and starvation.
It can be caused by various factors, ranging from crop failure and natural disasters to war or government policies.
While many countries and regions face shortages of food, famine is only declared by the UN when certain conditions are met.
How does the UN define famine?
The UN assesses famines using the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which formed the basis of its report on Gaza in March.
The IPC is a five-stage scale that measures food security. It ranges from Phase 1, which is none or minimal food insecurity, to Phase 5, which is a food insecurity catastrophe or famine.
What are the five stages of the IPC scale?
Minimal/none: The first stage is none or minimal. In this case, people have access to essential and non-essential foods and their needs are met without having to engage in any unusual attempts to secure food.
Stressed: The second stage is 'stressed.' Here, households have “minimally adequate” food consumption but are unable to afford some essential non-food items.
Crisis: The third stage is 'crisis.' In this stage, people either have “food consumption gaps” that are reflected by high levels of “acute malnutrition,” or they are able to meet their minimal food needs, but only through selling some assets or deploying crisis strategies.
Emergency: In the fourth stage, the UN declares an “emergency.” In a food security emergency, the lack of food is leading to “very high acute malnutrition” and excess deaths. Households are only able to cope with the lack of food by “employing emergency livelihood strategies” or liquidating their assets.
Urgent action is required to save lives and livelihoods.
Catastrophe/Famine: The fifth stage of the IPC scale is a catastrophe or a famine. In this case, households have an extreme lack of food and basic needs, even after they have tried all of their coping strategies.
“Starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident.”
Urgent action is required to prevent widespread death and the total collapse of livelihoods.
What is the difference between a food catastrophe and famine?
The UN considers a catastrophe to be a famine if the area affected has “extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and mortality.”
Which countries are currently experiencing famine?
The UN has listed Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen as among the “hunger hotspots” that require the most urgent attention.
At least 19 million people in Yemen suffer from acute food insecurity, including 2.25 million children under the age of five, according to the UN last year.
South Sudan, Burkina Faso and Mali are all in the midst of famine, according to Action Against Hunger, which cites armed conflict as the primary factor in all three.
About 30 million people in 22 countries face famine if urgent aid is not provided, it added.
Millions also face the prospect of famine in Sudan, which has been ravaged by a civil war for a year.
What did the IPC report find?
The UN has repeatedly warned of the risk of famine in Gaza.
The IPC report released in March described the situation as “catastrophic.” It said that northern Gaza, where Israel has limited the amount of aid allowed to enter, was “facing imminent famine.”
The IPC conducted its initial analysis in December, after two months of war, and warned that a famine would occur by the end of May without a ceasefire and the increase of aid to the population.
In its March report, it found that the conditions to prevent famine had not been met, and that “the latest evidence confirms that famine is imminent in the northern governorates and projected to occur anytime between mid-March and May 2024.”
“According to the most likely scenario, both North Gaza and Gaza governorates are classified in IPC Phase 5 (Famine) with reasonable evidence, with 70 per cent (around 210,000 people) of the population in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe),” the report found.
It classified Gaza's southern governorates of Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis as IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).
“The entire population in the Gaza Strip (2.23 million) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity,” the report said.
What has the UN said about famine in Gaza?
“The IPC announcement reflects the dire situation that the people of Gaza are facing,” said World Health Organisation director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Before this crisis, there was enough food in Gaza to feed the population. Malnutrition was a rare occurrence. Now, people are dying, and many more are sick. Over a million people are expected to face catastrophic hunger unless significantly more food is allowed to enter Gaza.”
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said in March that famine in Gaza “is human-made and was entirely preventable,” blaming the crisis on Israel’s restriction on aid, forced displacement of civilians, and destruction of much of Gaza’s vital infrastructure.
Children have been forced to make the perilous journey from northern to southern Gaza alone to try to find food, he added.
The UN said Gaza had the “highest share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity that the IPC initiative has ever classified for any given area or country”.
Speaking in mid-March, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to immediately allow aid into the besieged enclave.
“We must act now to prevent the unthinkable, the unacceptable and the unjustifiable,” he said.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
Company%20profile
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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More from Aya Iskandarani
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
The Internet
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four stars
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Kandahar%20
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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."
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Persuasion
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
