Famine is imminent in Gaza, with half a million people at risk of starvation unless Israel lifts its siege, according to a grim new report released on Monday by a global hunger monitor, marking a major deterioration since its last report in October, Middle East Eye reported.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global network of UN agencies and humanitarian groups, reported Monday that 477,000 people in Gaza, or 22 percent of the population, are facing “catastrophic” hunger from May to September, the highest classification level. 

Over one million more are at “emergency” levels, marked by severe food gaps and high acute malnutrition. 

“The current level of human suffering, destitution ,and harm is extreme and requires urgent action from all parties,” the IPC said in its report.

The IPC warned that famine is imminent if the current conditions persist. The ongoing Israeli blockade, in place since 2 March, has severely restricted the entry of essential food and medical supplies into Gaza.