Abstract
The escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza has led to severe food insecurity, posing an immediate threat to public health. This article outlines a proposed initiative, "Project Africa for Gaza Food Security" (PAF-GS), which leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and collaborative networks to monitor and address nutritional deficiencies within affected families. PAF-GS proposes the development of an AI-driven mobile application designed to provide real-time updates on food security, peace negotiations, and historical context of the conflict. Critically, the application will foster a pan-African and international network of scientists, including bioinformaticians, statisticians, and ethicists, to provide expert analysis, statistical surveillance, and ethical guidance. The project aims to inform targeted humanitarian interventions, facilitate evidence-based decision-making, and promote a data-driven approach to resolving the humanitarian food crisis in Gaza. This initiative highlights the potential of bioinformatics and digital health tools in complex humanitarian emergencies and underscores Africa's role in global health leadership and innovative humanitarian solutions.
Keywords: Food Insecurity; Gaza; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Humanitarian Aid; Nutritional Surveillance; Digital Health; Bioinformatics; Conflict Zones; Ethical AI; Conflict Resolution (or Peacebuilding)
References
To complement the article, here are some relevant bibliographic references that address food security, humanitarian crises, and the impacts of conflict on nutrition, particularly in the context of Gaza. These references can enrich the article by providing relevant data and analyses on food situation in Gaza and the necessary humanitarian responses.
- The UN and the Middle East Crisis. https://unric.org/fr/onu-et-la-crise-au-proche-orient-gaza/
- World Food Programme. “Risk of famine across all of Gaza, new report says”. This report highlights the catastrophic food situation in Gaza, providing statistics on malnutrition and urgent humanitarian needs, emphasizing the importance of rapid intervention to prevent widespread famine (2025).
- Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). “Gaza Strip: Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition - IPC Special Snapshot - September 2024 - April 2025”. This document offers a detailed analysis of food security levels and malnutrition in Gaza, describing crisis phases and recommendations for humanitarian action (2024).
- Bilukha O., et al. “From acute food insecurity to famine: how the 2023/2024 war on Gaza has dramatically set back sustainable development goal 2 to end hunger”. This article examines the consequences of the war on food security in Gaza and its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (2023).
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World”. This report provides global data on food security and nutrition, serving as a reference for understanding broader issues related to the food crisis in Gaza (2020).
- Al-Jawaldeh A. et Meyer A. “Food Security in the Eastern Mediterranean: Challenges and Opportunities”. This article discusses specific challenges to food security in the region, including the impacts of conflict and policies on nutrition (2023).
On Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics in Public Health and Humanitarian Aid
- Pace KA and Rimer BK. “Leveraging artificial intelligence for public health: A systematic review”. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 26.3 (2020): 295-303. (General overview of AI in public health)
- Haghi M and Shaham M. “AI and big data in humanitarian action: A review of the state of the art”. Humanitarian Affairs 3.1 (2021): 108-120. (Focuses on AI in humanitarian contexts)
- Guo S and Li C. “Bioinformatics approaches for understanding population health and disease in disaster settings”. Frontiers in Public Health 10 (2022): 897654. (Highlights the role of bioinformatics in public health emergencies)
- World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines/Reports on Digital Health and AI: WHO has publications on the ethical and practical considerations of using AI and digital technologies in health.
- Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) or similar e-health journals: Often feature articles on mobile health (mHealth) applications, data analytics in health, and AI in clinical and public health settings.
On Ethics of AI and Data in Humanitarian Contexts
- United Nations Global Pulse Reports: This initiative often publishes on the ethical implications of big data and AI for development and humanitarian action.
- Crawford K. “Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence”. Yale University Press (2021). (Broader ethical considerations of AI, useful for context).
- IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems: Publishes resources and recommendations on ethical AI design.
- Ethical guidelines from organizations like ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) on data protection in humanitarian action: While not directly about AI, these provide a strong foundation for data ethics in sensitive contexts.