All members of the United Nations Security Council, except the United States, have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, citing a worsening humanitarian crisis and what they described as a “man-made famine” devastating the enclave.
At a joint press conference at UN headquarters, representatives expressed grave concern over newly released data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which confirmed famine conditions in parts of Gaza for the first time 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 region. Every day, more persons are dying as a result of malnutrition. Many of them children.”
Persaud stood alongside representatives 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,” Persaud continued. “The use of starvation as a weapon of war is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
Ondina Drobic, Slovenia’s deputy permanent representative, stressed the need for urgent action, saying the group demands an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, and a halt to Israel’s planned ground offensive in Gaza City.
“The humanitarian emergency must be addressed without delay and Israel must reverse course,” Drobic said. “We have seen what is possible to achieve during a ceasefire.”
The statement comes amid mounting international pressure following reports that famine has already claimed lives, particularly among children. Humanitarian agencies warn that the death toll could rise sharply if aid is not delivered at scale and military operations continue.
The US, a key ally of Israel, has repeatedly vetoed Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, arguing that Israel has a right to defend itself.