Half a million Gazans still facing 'catastrophic' hunger: UN

Rome: Almost half a million people are still experiencing catastrophic hunger in Gaza, with famine still a high risk, a United Nations backed assess...

Rome: Almost half a million people are still experiencing "catastrophic" hunger in Gaza, with famine still a high risk, a United Nations-backed assessment found Tuesday.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership said its March warning of imminent famine in the north of the Palestinian territory had not materialised.

"However, the situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and there is a high and sustained risk of famine across the whole Gaza Strip," the report said, warning against any complacency.

It said around 495,000 people -- around 22 percent of the Gaza population, according to the UN -- are still facing "catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity" known as IPC Phase 5.

Another 745,000 people are classified as in a food security emergency.