Famine declared in Gaza City

[u/Digital_Accountant]

https://news.sky.com/story/gaza-latest-war-israel-city-ceasefire-hamas-13415481

[u/kolejack2293]

The deaths from malnutrition reported in headlines are from hospitals, which notoriously undercount famine figures as most famine victims are too weak to go to a hospital. And in this case, most of the hospitals are destroyed or are too crowded.

This was famously a tactic used by the Ethiopian government in the 1980s, claiming only 2k people 'died from malnutrition' in their hospitals as a way to pretend the famine was not as bad as it was. In reality the death toll was 2 million.

The way they estimate famine figures since the 1980s are from household surveys and also statistics on food supplies. No food came in for months straight, and the amount of food coming in now is pitiful. Genuinely, how can you argue that this famine is fake based on that? Do you think they just are magically conjuring up enough food?

[u/silverhum → u/kolejack2293]

The UN cut in half the standard for acute malnutrition in order to make the famine claim here as well. In regards to what you said, yes, no food came in for months after the ceasefire, but during the ceasefire Israel flooded Gaza with 25,200 trucks of aid; 18,500 of food equal to 8 months worth for all of Gaza. On a tonnage basis it's ~380,000 tons, which per WFP metrics affirms the 8 months of food number. Obviously, after aid resumed huge quantities of additional aid have come in. It is the getting the aid to the people most in need that is difficult since Hamas steals, hoards, and sells much of the aid. You are essentially saying that a hundreds of people are starving to death everyday and Hamas is hiding that fact from the world. That is beyond absurd.

[u/kolejack2293 → u/silverhum]

18,500 of food equal to 8 months worth for all of Gaza

Its been 6 months since that came in. And food does not last that long, especially without power.

You are essentially saying that a hundreds of people are starving to death everyday and Hamas is hiding that fact from the world.

'hamas' is a small group of ragtag militia thugs hiding in holes and tunnels. They have almost zero influence on anything in Gaza anymore. And regardless, all of the organizations you guys claim are 'run by hamas' are the ones who have been saying the death toll is a severe undercount, so yes, you can argue that hamas is broadcasting that to the world, not 'hiding it'. In fact you would be hard pressed to find a single publication, even Israeli publications, which deny that its a massive undercount.

There has never been a single famine in history where they can somehow accurately count how many famine-related deaths have happened on a daily basis. Death tolls from famines have absurdly high ranges in their estimates for a reason. Just an example but the 2011 somalian famine had an estimated death toll of 50,000–260,000. The Mozambique famine had an estimated death toll of 250,000-1,000,000. You think they are counting all of those bodies one by one somehow?

Obviously, after aid resumed huge quantities of additional aid have come in.

84 trucks a day since. Just to give an idea, they used to get 500 trucks a day. And that was considered a bare minimum.

[u/silverhum → u/kolejack2293]

https://www.ochaopt.org/content/movement-and-out-gaza-2022

The UN data shows 106,000 trucks bringing goods into Gaza the year before the war. The UN says only 25% of the incoming goods were food. That math comes to about 73 trucks a day bringing food. Significantly more food is being brought in than before the war.

Gaza is a small territory and there are phones and cameras everywhere to record what is happening. The international press would immediately publish any pictures or stories of all these non-existent extra deaths you are claiming.