Gaza faces critical food shortages as borders remain closed

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has said that no humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks, as all main border crossing points remain closed.

This marks the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever experienced, worsening already fragile markets and food systems.

On Friday, WFP announced that it had delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meal kitchens in Gaza. These kitchens, which have been the sole consistent source of food assistance for the population, are expected to run out of food in the coming days.

Despite reaching only half the population and meeting just 25 percent of their daily food needs, these kitchens have provided a critical lifeline to the people of Gaza.

Additionally, WFP had been supporting bakeries to distribute affordable bread throughout Gaza. However, by March 31, all 25 WFP-supported bakeries had to close due to a shortage of wheat flour and cooking fuel.

In the same week, the WFP’s food parcels, which contained two weeks’ worth of rations, were completely depleted.

The agency has expressed deep concern over the severe lack of safe water and cooking fuel, forcing people to scavenge for items to burn in order to prepare meals.

With no supplies entering Gaza, food prices have skyrocketed by up to 1,400 percent compared to levels during the ceasefire, and essential food commodities are in critically short supply.

This has raised serious concerns about malnutrition, especially among vulnerable populations such as children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.

More than 116,000 metric tons of food assistance, sufficient to feed one million people for up to four months, is currently positioned at aid corridors and ready to be delivered to Gaza as soon as the borders reopen.

hz/sa