Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

The total number of hunger-related deaths in the Gaza Strip has risen to 281, including 114 children, according to Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday.

This comes as eight more people died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, the health authorities said.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released on Friday, more than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine conditions marked by starvation and preventable deaths.

The assessment, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), said famine in Gaza City is now spreading southward to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. By the end of September, over 640,000 people are projected to face catastrophic food insecurity, with an additional 1.14 million at emergency levels and nearly 400,000 in crisis conditions.

The report confirmed that thresholds for extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and hunger-related deaths have been breached, marking the first officially declared famine in the Middle East since the IPC was established.

The agency bases its conclusion on three key indicators. Firstly, starvation, where at least 20 percent of households are experiencing an extreme shortage of food. Families simply cannot feed themselves.

The second determining factor is malnutrition in the young, where 30 percent of children are found to be acutely malnourished.

While, the third criterion is mortality, where 2 adults or 4 minors in every 10,000 are dying every day due to outright starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease.

Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

Hunger-related deaths in Gaza soar to 281

South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre declared a national disaster on Sunday as heavy rains and flooding continued to batter northern parts of the country.

According to local media reports, continuous rainfall since late December has caused severe flooding in Limpopo Province, where at least 17 people, including two children, have died. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa said in a statement on Sunday that 20 people had been killed in flood-related incidents in Mpumalanga Province.

More than 1,600 homes and 31 schools have been affected in Limpopo, while over 1,000 homes in Mpumalanga have suffered varying degrees of damage. The flooding has also forced the partial closure of Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest wildlife reserves, with more than 600 visitors evacuated after rising waters inundated access roads and campsites.

The South African National Defence Force has deployed two helicopters to assist with rescue operations and evacuate residents stranded in hard-hit areas.

S Africa declares national disaster as flooding batters northern region

S Africa declares national disaster as flooding batters northern region