Rome, July 24 (QNA) - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said around 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip, representing about two-thirds of the Strip's population, are currently experiencing acute food insecurity.

In a joint statement, the two UN agencies said the situation has shown slight improvement compared with the end of last year, but remains critical, particularly for vulnerable groups, young children, and older people.

The agencies estimated that the number of people facing acute food insecurity has fallen from 1.6 million, or 77 percent of the population, at the end of last year to approximately 1.4 million. Despite the improvement, nearly 212,000 people remain in the "emergency" phase, classified as Phase 4 under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

The statement also warned that around 74,000 children are expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition over the coming year, while approximately 25,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need nutritional support.

It added that many of those affected live in areas adjacent to the line controlled by the Israeli military, where access to humanitarian aid and essential services remains extremely limited.

The IPC classifies food insecurity into five phases, with Phases 3 to 5 indicating acute food insecurity and Phase 5 representing catastrophic famine conditions. (QNA)