UK govt: Gaza famine a 'moral outrage', and 'man-made'

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday condemned the famine in Gaza as a "moral outrage" and a "man-made catastrophe," after the United Nations declared it.

"The confirmation of famine in Gaza City and the surrounding neighborhood is utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable," Lammy said in a statement.

"The Israeli government's refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage."

The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first time it has done so in the Middle East, with experts warning 500,000 people face "catastrophic" hunger.

Tom Fletcher, the U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator, blamed Israel, accusing it of "systematic obstruction" of aid deliveries to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The U.K.'s Lammy called on Israel to take urgent action to remedy the situation.

"The Government of Israel can and must immediately act to stop the situation from deteriorating any further. It must immediately and sustainably allow unhindered food, medical supplies, fuel and all types of aid to reach those who so desperately need them," he said.

"The Israeli government must allow the U.N. and international NGOs to carry out their life-saving work without obstruction. Aid must reach those in need urgently and without delay." 

Lammy said the U.K. remained opposed to Israel's plans to seize Gaza City.

"We desperately need an immediate cease-fire to enable aid delivery at maximum speed and at the scale required. This includes halting the military operation in Gaza City, which is the epicentre of the famine," he said.

"The U.K. reiterates its condemnation of this military action, which will only worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation and endanger the lives of the hostages held by Hamas."