Famine, Fighter Jets & Forgotten Roads — The Cost of Inaction
By Tim Garbutt
As the world stumbles through the third decade of the 21st century, the contradictions are sharper than ever. Famine in Gaza and Sudan, both classified as IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe), threatens millions with starvation.
Meanwhile, India and China surge ahead, reshaping global power. And in the skies above, F-35 fighter jets roar past UNHAS planes dropping token aid, while roads crumble beneath them in the 40th Year of Band Aid.
Gaza: IPC5 and the Band-Aid Economy
1.1 million Gazans face famine — half the population, with children dying from malnutrition and aid lorries queueing up at the border full of food.
Food drops and sea corridors are too slow, too few, and too late. UN warehouses bombed, bakeries closed, and flour costs up 3,000%.
UNHAS flights deliver a few pallets while Band Aid concerts echo from decades past — symbolism over substance.
“If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for many people.” — WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain
Sudan: IPC5, 1 Million Deaths, and the $ Cost of Inaction
26 million Sudanese face acute hunger, with 755,000 in IPC5 and Zamzam camp confirmed in famine.
10 million displaced, including 5 million children. Vaccination rates halved, schools shuttered, and graveyards expanding.
Estimated 1 million deaths if conflict and aid blockades persist — yet funding gaps remain, with only 49% of the response plan funded.
“Famine is only confirmed after many deaths occur… humanitarian actors should never wait.” — FEWS NET
India & China: 21st Century Success, Not Zero-Sum
India’s GDP hits $4.3 trillion, doubling in a decade; China recalibrates, still the world’s #2 economy.
India’s digital leap (UPI, Digital India) and China’s infrastructure diplomacy (BRI) redefine global development.
China and India the poverty success story from the famines of the Chinese Civil War and Indian famines of the 20C.
Education and vocational training underpin both — while Africa and the Middle East face brain drain and broken systems.
“India’s rise is not China’s fall… it’s a sign that Asia is no longer a passive recipient of globalization.” — Mirza Abdul Aleem Baig
F-35s, Tesco, and the UNHAS Paradox
UK buys 12 nuclear-capable F-35As, while Tesco shelves remain stocked and Sudan’s airstrips rot.
UNHAS planes drop aid into famine zones — a few tonnes at a time — while F-35s cost $100M+ each.
Roads in Sudan and Gaza are impassable, yet airstrikes and fighter jet logistics remain fully funded - surely IPC4 should trigger emergency support from the world's military air forces otherwise rusting in hangars on the rates?
“The UK doesn’t have sovereign control over Typhoon or Tempest either… sovereignty is significantly overblown.” — Prof. Justin Bronk
The Road Not Taken
LIDAR mapping, UAVs, and AI could revolutionize mine clearance and famine logistics — but UNMAS drags its feet.
Tesco’s supply chain delivers 50,000 SKUs daily; UN aid drops deliver a few sacks of flour.
F-35s fly missions with no payloads, while Sudanese children die for lack of vitamin A.
Call to Action: From Famine to Fairness
Demand IPC5 transparency: country-level breakdowns, named contacts, and budget disclosures.
Fund roads, not jets: redirect 1% of F-35 budgets to famine logistics and LIDAR mapping.
Push for UN reform: FOI requests, 5th Committee inquiries, and blog exposés to end sinecures and silence.
POTUS Trump rightly claiming influence over Bibi and Israel's man-made famine but surely a more difficult task ahead with Putin and the Sudans, Myanmar and Haiti conflicts and famine - especially with USAID cut on his watch.
For the first time a USA President could end both famine and war.
Famine isn’t just a number — it’s a reckoning. The world has the tools, the funds, and the knowledge. What it lacks is the will. IPC Phase 5—Catastrophe/Famine—represents the most extreme level of food insecurity, where populations face starvation, acute malnutrition, and death. As of 2024–2025, the nations most affected include:
Countries Facing IPC5 Conditions
| Country/Territory | Estimated IPC5 Population | Key Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Palestine (Gaza Strip) | ~1.1 million | Conflict, blockade, displacement |
| Sudan | ~0.5 million | Civil war, displacement, aid access |
| South Sudan | Tens of thousands | Conflict, flooding, economic collapse |
| Haiti | Tens of thousands | Gang violence, inflation, governance |
| Mali | Tens of thousands | Armed conflict, drought |
What IPC5 Means
Extreme lack of food even after exhausting all coping strategies.
Starvation and death are present or imminent.
Humanitarian aid is often blocked or insufficient.
Why It Matters
IPC5 is not just a warning—it’s a declaration of active famine conditions.
These crises are often man-made, driven by war, political instability, and economic collapse.
The Global Report on Food Crises 2025 warns that IPC5 cases have more than doubled since 2023.
In 2024, famine-related deaths surged dramatically, especially in Gaza and Sudan, where conditions reached catastrophic levels:
Gaza
Over 100 people, including 80 children, died from starvation and malnutrition in recent months.
The UN and humanitarian agencies estimate that one-third of Gaza’s population (~700,000 people) go multiple days without food, and 100,000 women and children suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed while trying to access aid, often near GHF distribution centres.
UN experts declared that famine has spread across the entire Gaza Strip, citing deaths of infants and children from hunger despite medical treatment.
Sudan
The 2024 Sudan famine has led to over 522,000 infant deaths(!) from malnutrition, with 286,000 additional cases recorded.
In Zamzam IDP camp, death rates reached 1.5–2.4 per 10,000/day, exceeding famine thresholds.
The Global Famine Review Committee and IPC officially declared IPC Phase 5 famine in multiple camps and regions, including North Darfur, Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile State.
Disease outbreaks like cholera and measles have compounded the crisis, especially among malnourished children.
Global Snapshot
As of late 2024, 1.33 million people worldwide were experiencing famine or famine-like conditions, according to IPC estimates.
The Global Report on Food Crises noted that catastrophic hunger more than doubled in 2024, driven by conflict, displacement, and aid blockades.
Yet here's a breakdown of what it takes to feed people in IPC Phase 5 famine conditions:
Lifesaving Meal Costs
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that one nutrient-packed emergency meal costs about $0.43 USD: ~$500k per day to end extreme famine: just $15M per month (remember those F35 jets at $100M each?).
To feed 42 million people and end severe malnutrition one meal per day for a year: $0.43 × 42 million × 365 = ~$6.6 billion USD
In 2024, food airdrops became a critical—though controversial—tool for delivering aid to famine-stricken regions, especially Gaza and parts of Sudan.
Gaza Airdrops
The UK Royal Air Force conducted its first-ever humanitarian airdrop into Gaza on 25 March 2024, delivering over 10 tonnes of food including water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods, and baby formula. And a stark contrast to over 500 RAF spy flights over Gaza in 2 years.
The mission was coordinated with Jordan, whose Royal Air Force also led multiple drops using C-130 aircraft, each capable of carrying 14 tonnes of aid.
The U.S. military joined the effort, dropping thousands of meals - and now coordination with Jordan/UAE and Israel.
Despite the scale, UN officials warned that airdrops are inefficient and costly, calling them a last resort when land and sea routes are blocked.
Sudan and Other Regions
While Gaza dominated headlines, Sudan also saw limited airdrop operations in North Darfur and Blue Nile State, where famine conditions reached IPC Phase 5.
These missions were often hampered by conflict zones, lack of airspace clearance, and security risks.
Key Takeaways
Airdrops in 2024 were symbolic and tactical, used when traditional aid routes were inaccessible.
They delivered high-energy biscuits, baby formula, and basic staples, but couldn’t meet full nutritional needs.
Aid groups emphasized the need for land access, port clearance, and maritime corridors to scale up relief efforts- the question now is whether drones could deliver the last few emergency airdrops that are needed in the last mile.
The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operates one of the most diverse and mission-driven air fleets in the world—designed to reach places no commercial airline will go.
Fleet Size: ~75 aircraft (2024), including 59 fixed-wing and 16 rotary-wing aircraft - larger than Denmark's civil airline.
Operators: Aircraft are chartered from commercial carriers but meet strict UN and ICAO safety standards
Managed by: The World Food Programme (WFP)
Aircraft Types
Aircraft Type Role Regions Operated Bombardier CRJ-200 Passenger transport DRC, Syria De Havilland Dash 8 Cargo & passengers Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen Embraer ERJ-145/135 Regional flights Libya, Niger, Sudan Cessna Caravan Remote access Ethiopia, Madagascar Ilyushin IL-76 Heavy cargo South Sudan Mi-8 Helicopters Medical & security missions Haiti, Yemen, CAR Airbus A320 & A310 Long-range personnel transport Yemen, Sudan Reach & Impact
Destinations: Over 400 remote locations in 23 countries
Passengers: ~355,000 transported in 2024
Cargo: ~4,925 metric tons of humanitarian supplies delivered
Evacuations: Thousands of medical and security evacuations annually
Why It Matters
UNHAS is often the only lifeline to areas cut off by war, disaster, or collapsed infrastructure.
It supports UN missions, NGOs, and humanitarian workers, ensuring aid reaches those in need.
The fleet is tailored for flexibility, from jungle airstrips to desert landing zones.
- But with so few famine zones and need for air drops there needs to be a closer look at a standing fleet of planes when the world militaries or private sector can provide any cargo lifts.
- While the UN should focus on both road and rail infrastructure to reach a network of aid warehouses - and resettlement of too-remote and unviable farming villages.
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