UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer on Gaza Famine

On UN Watch

“The most important organization continually bringing to light the record of the UNHRC and UNGA.”

Robert L. Bernstein, Founding Chair, Human Rights Watch

“...a Geneva-based pro-Israeli monitor.”

The Economist

“UN Watch will not be getting a cheque from me.”

Ian Williams (The Guardian)

UN Watch ED Claims

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, on Sky News, claimed, about the veracity of famine or not in Gaza, the following:

“No, this is a fabricated report… there is not famine.”

“There are objective measures… in this report, it was… politically motivated, to fabricate a finding of famine.”

“This report was not made in good faith.”

“These are Hamas claims laundered by a U.N.-backed report.”

These raise specific factual questions. Is there a famine in Gaza? Was the report objective? Was the report made in good faith? Are these Hamas-influenced or independent UN reportage? Further, is there external support for Mr. Neuer’s position or for the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (a UN-backed multi-agency system for classifying levels of food insecurity) or IPC findings?

The IPC Findings

The IPC report confirmed famine in the Gaza Governorate as of August 15, 2025. By late September 2025, they expected famine conditions to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

Over half a million people in the Gaza Strip were stated as facing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), 1.07 million were in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 were in Crisis (IPC Phase 3). Numbers were projected to increase by the end of September.

Child and maternal malnutrition through June 2026 were projected to be about 132,000 children under five suffering from acute malnutrition, with approximately 41,000 suffering severely. About 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need urgent nutrition support.

IPC assessment found non-trauma mortality in the Gaza Governorate reached famine levels. Conditions in North Gaza are likely severe or worse. Insufficient data prevented proper classification in that case. Rafah was not analyzed because of depopulation. Totals may be underestimates.

Known factors contributing to the famine include escalating conflict and displacement, the collapse of humanitarian food deliveries from March to April, the decline in local food production, aid interceptions, and high food prices.

Water and sanitation conditions are worsening, disease outbreaks are concurrent, and monitoring systems are collapsing, indicating possible underreportage of non-trauma deaths. IPC urged immediate, large-scale, unobstructed multi-sector aid and an immediate ceasefire.

The Current Conclusion

In sum, Neuer declines these claims on the fundamentals: “There is no famine.” Is IPC isolated, or is Neuer isolated in the international community?

The World Health Organization supports the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification findings. The United Nations Children’s Fund supports the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification findings. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations supports the findings. The World Food Programme supports the findings.

Furthermore, the International Rescue Committee, the Red Cross Movement, The Lancet, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Médecins Sans Frontières, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, and the British Red Cross concur with the report.

The only formal rebuttal is the Government of Israel. No other support exists for Neuer’s assertions.

Therefore, the opposite is likely the case. There is a famine, as evidenced by objective measures and independent UN analysis, based on good faith. Neuer denies the facts and objective measures, is probably politically motivated, and is potentially not working in good faith, dependent on a single supportive claim: the Government of Israel.

By accusing the IPC of fabrication, politicization, and bad faith, Neuer describes the qualities apparent in his own denial. His rejection is not corroborated by independent evidence or credible institutions. He is isolated internationally on this, not because of anti-Israeli bias, but because Neuer is wrong.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.