A harrowing food insecurity report has concluded that famine is imminent in northern Gaza, as millions of starving Palestinians face catastrophic food conditions in the territory amid Israels continued blockade of humanitarian aid.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report was released Monday by the World Food Program. The IPC is an international process for estimating the scale of hunger crises, and serves as one of the international communitys primary sources for food insecurity data around the world.

According to the report, North Gaza and area governorates are projected to meet the definition of famine the IPCs fifth and most severe phase of acute food insecurity anytime between now and May. In North Gaza, food security and malnutrition have become crises at the most dire level of the IPCs scale.

Gazas southern governorates of Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah are presently classified as IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) situations in the report. These governorates, however, face a risk of famine through July in a worst-case scenario, according to the data.

Per the ICP, Gazas entire population of 2.23 million people are enduring high levels of acute food insecurity. About half of those people are expected to suffer catastrophic conditions if Israeli forces launch their planned ground offensive into the packed southern city of Rafah.

The upward trend in non-trauma mortality is also expected to accelerate, resulting in all famine thresholds likely to be passed imminently, the groups report said.

In December, the IPC warned that there needed to be an immediate reduction of hostilities and an increase in humanitarian access in order to prevent a realistic chance of starvation in Gaza. The agencys analysis at the time said that Gazas crisis is the highest share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity that the IPC initiative has ever classified.

If no steps are taken to cease hostilities and to provide more humanitarian access, famine is imminent, Beth Bechdol, deputy director-general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, said Monday . It could already be occurring. Immediate access is needed to facilitate delivery of urgent and critical assistance at scale.

Gazas current crisis stems from Israels ongoing military campaign launched after Hamas militants attacked that country on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly another 250 hostage. More than five months later, the Gaza Health Ministry which has a record of providing casualty figures that closely reflect the U.N.s own reports that Israeli forces have killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, wounded nearly 73,400, displaced almost the entire population and blocked civilians from accessing most aid deliveries of food, water, fuel and medicine.

The dire situation in Gaza is simply unbearable and unjustifiable, according to Hiba Tibi, country director for aid group CARE International in Gaza and the West Bank. Our earlier fears that more would die in Gaza from hunger, dehydration and disease than from bombs, were well-founded, sadly. Starvation is cruel. It is a slow and painful death.

Our partners who run health centers in Northern Gaza have reported that the number of children categorized as having moderate or severe malnutrition nearly doubled in February, compared to January. Their staff report watching children get thinner and thinner as the days go by and of kids who can barely speak and walk due to starvation, she continued. We also hear of kids being born and dying in shelters without even being registered in the hospitals. Its like they dont exist.