Famine in the Gaza Strip “is almost inevitable, if nothing changes”, warns the UN once again, while official figures speak of the death of at least 10 children from hunger.

The UN and humanitarian organizations have set specific criteria to define the state of famine. A state of famine has not yet been declared in the Palestinian enclave, where conditions are disastrous.

But, “once a state of famine is declared, it is too late for the people,” warned Jens Lerke, spokesman for the UN’s Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In Somalia in 2011, when it was officially declared in a state of famine, half of the total number of victims of the disaster had already died of starvation.

“We don’t want to get to this situation and things have to change,” said Jens Lerke during a press conference in Geneva.

World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that according to official statistics from Hamas authorities, ten children have been officially recorded as having died of malnutrition. It is certain that the number does not reflect reality.

The deaths are early signs “of great concern because food security before the war in Gaza was not too bad,” the spokesman said.

“People had food, they had the ability to produce their own food and produce food products in Gaza itself it’s almost impossible…Fishing was an important source of food, of income, to be able to put something on the table, which has completely ceased.”

“The very foundations of people’s daily lives have been destroyed,” the spokesman said.

Referring to the death yesterday during the transport and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza City of more than a hundred Palestinians, who most likely fell victim to a combination of Israeli fire and massive trampling, the representative of the World Health Organization wondered at what point people are starving to take such risks.

“The important thing is that people are so in need of food, drinking water and every kind of supply, that they risk their lives to find food, supplies to meet the needs of their children, to meet their own needs.” “It’s a real drama, a real disaster.”