Gaza Faces Famine Risk as Bakeries Close and Aid Drops
Severe food shortages and funding cuts have forced bakery closures and triggered malnutrition warnings across the Gaza Strip.
Severe hunger is gripping the Gaza Strip as a combination of Israeli import restrictions and United Nations funding shortages triggers renewed famine risks. The Cabinet of Israel suspended commercial shipments on October 14, citing a dispute over demands for merchants to pay 10,000 shekels per truck to enter the enclave. While Israel announced a gradual resumption of shipments on October 19 after the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories reported that Hamas withdrew the payment demand, imports remain heavily restricted.
These disruptions have devastated the local food supply. Ten of the territory's 17 bakeries have closed due to a lack of flour and fuel, with the remaining operational bakeries facing imminent shutdown. The price of a 25-kilogram bag of flour surged from approximately 8 USD to 65 USD, while bread prices rose from 20 shekels before the war to as high as 160 shekels.
Simultaneously, the World Food Programme reduced its support from 1.6 million people in September to 1.1 million in October due to severe funding shortages. This cut halved household food rations and reduced daily hot meals from 250,000 to 150,000. Health officials report that approximately 3,000 children are admitted monthly for malnutrition treatment, often suffering from severe protein deficiency and stunting. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and Gaza's Ministry of Social Development have warned that these conditions could trigger an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
