All members of the United Nations Security Council—except the United States—have issued a joint call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and a “man-made famine” taking hold in the besieged enclave.
At a joint press conference held at UN headquarters, representatives voiced alarm over new findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which for the first time confirmed famine conditions in parts of Gaza—the first such classification ever recorded in the Middle East.
“We express our profound alarm and distress at the IPC data on Gaza, published last Friday,” said Trishala Persaud, Guyana’s deputy permanent representative to the UN. “This is the first time famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East. Every day, more people—many of them children—are dying from malnutrition.”
Persaud was joined by envoys from Slovenia, Algeria, China, Denmark, France, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Russia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and the United Kingdom.
“This is a man-made crisis,” she added. “The use of starvation as a weapon of war is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
Slovenia’s deputy permanent representative, Ondina Drobic, underscored the urgency of the situation, reiterating the group’s demands for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a halt to Israel’s planned ground assault on Gaza City.
“The humanitarian emergency must be addressed without delay, and Israel must reverse course,” Drobic said. “We’ve seen what can be achieved during a ceasefire.”
The statement comes amid escalating global concern over reports that famine has already claimed lives, especially among children. Aid organizations warn the death toll could rise rapidly unless large-scale humanitarian relief is allowed in and military operations are suspended.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has continued to block Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, citing Israel’s right to self-defense.
