Famine in the Gaza Strip can be averted if vital aid is allowed into the besieged territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said, AFP reports.

“This is a man-made disaster,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, of the dire humanitarian conditions in war-battered Gaza.

“The world committed to never let famine happen again,” he said.

“Famine can still be avoided through genuine political will to grant access and protection to meaningful assistance,” he said.