This is an entry from: Israel's War on Gaza Live: Israel pounds Rafah in overnight strikes
USAID chief says famine already underway in Gaza
11 April 2024 18:29 BST
Samantha Power, the director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said during a congressional hearing that in parts of northern Gaza, famine is already occurring.
The remarks came in response to a question posed by Congressman Joaquin Castro: "So famine is already occurring there?"
"Yes," Power responded.
Power became the first US official to confirm that famine is ongoing in Gaza.
The UN has been warning for weeks about the looming threat of famine in Gaza amid Israel's war on the enclave.
The Huffington Post reported last week that USAID officials sent a cable to the White House saying famine was occurring in Gaza and warning that hunger-related deaths would "accelerate in the weeks ahead".