By Wafaa Shurafa and Lee Keath
Deir al -Balah, Gaza Strip (AP) – The World Food Program claims that its food stocks in the Gaza Strip are exhausted under the blockade of Israel of almost 8 weeks, ending a main source of subsistence for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians on the territory.
The WFP said in a press release that he had delivered the last of her actions to the charitable kitchens that she supports around Gaza. He said these kitchens should lack food in the coming days.
Some 80% of the Gaza population of more than 2 million is mainly based on charities for food, because other sources have closed under the blocking of Israel, according to the UN, the WFP supported 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals per day, said PAM spokesperson, Abeer Etted Etted, Associated Press.
It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would always work in Gaza if they closed. But Etefa said that the kitchens supported by PAM are the main Gaza.
Israel cut the entrance to all foods, fuel, medicines and other supplies in Gaza on March 2, then resumed its bombing and its offensives on the ground two weeks later, breaking a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. He indicates that the movements aim to put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages it still holds. Right’s defense groups have described the blocking of “famine tactics” and a potential war crime.
Israel said Gaza had enough supplies after increasing help in the ceasefire and accuses Hamas of diverting help for its ends. Humanitarian workers deny that there is an important diversion, saying that the UN strictly monitors distribution. They say that the flow of help during the ceasefire was barely sufficient to cover the immense needs of the war while a net of supplies entered.
Hamas has been appointed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.
Without new goods entering Gaza, many foods have disappeared from markets, including meat, eggs, fruit, dairy products and many vegetables. The prices of what remains has increased spectacularly, becoming unaffordable for a large part of the population. Most families count strongly on preserves.
Malnutrition is already booming. The UN said that it has identified 3,700 children with acute malnutrition in March, up 80% compared to the previous month. At the same time, due to the decreased supply, aid groups could not provide nutritional supplements in some 22,000 children in March, down 70% from February. Supplements are a crucial tool to avoid malnutrition.
Almost all the bakeries closed weeks ago and the WFP has ceased to distribute food bases to families for lack of supplies. With stocks of most exhausted ingredients, charity kitchens can generally only serve meals of pasta or rice with little add.
World Central Kitchen – An American charity which is one of the largest in Gaza that was not based on WFP – said its kitchens on Thursday. Instead, they make stews from canned vegetables. Because the fuel is rare, it dismantles wooden shipping pallets to burn in its stoves, he said. It also manages the only bakery that still works in Gaza, producing 87,000 pita breads per day.
PAM said 116,000 tonnes of food were ready to be brought to Gaza if Israel opens borders, enough to feed 1 million people for four months.
Israel leveled a large part of Gaza with its air and land campaign, promising to destroy Hamas after the attack on October 7, 2023 against southern Israel. He killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, whose count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
During the October 7 attack, terrorists killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and removed 251. They still hold 59 hostages after most of them were released in cease-fire agreements.
Keath reported Cairo. The AP correspondent, Julia Frankel in Jersualem, contributed to this report.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
