Gaza hunger crisis deepens as 10 of 17 bakeries shut over flour shortage
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Gaza: The hunger situation in Gaza has deteriorated further after flour shortages forced 10 of the enclave’s 17 bakeries to close, leaving residents struggling to buy bread and raising fresh fears of famine.
Long queues have formed outside the few bakeries still operating, with people waiting for hours to purchase bread. Displaced families with little or no income are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic food items, the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported.
The cost of flour has risen steeply in recent days. According to Arabi21, a 25-kilogram bag of flour that earlier cost around USD 8 now sells for approximately USD 65.
Bread prices have also increased. Twenty loaves of bread, earlier available for three shekels under a subsidised scheme, now cost between 10 and 18 shekels in some areas, or about USD 3.23 to USD 5.81.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said families living in tents were facing further difficulties because of a shortage of cooking gas. It warned that children, elderly people and those suffering from illnesses were at particular risk of malnutrition.
Israel halted commercial shipments into Gaza on October 14, attributing the decision to a tax dispute between traders and the Hamas-led administration. Hamas and Palestinian importers rejected the claim.
Although there were later announcements that commercial deliveries would restart, Palestinian sources said restrictions on the entry of food supplies persisted.
The bakery shutdowns have come at a time when food assistance in Gaza is already shrinking. The World Food Programme (WFP) said on October 19 that the number of people receiving food aid would fall from about 1.6 million in September to 1.1 million in October.
This means nearly 500,000 people will be left without monthly food assistance. The agency has also reduced daily hot meals from 250,000 to 150,000 and halved household food rations.
The WFP has sought USD 450 million to continue its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank until March 2027.
Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development said continued restrictions on flour and bakery supplies could trigger an imminent humanitarian disaster. It urged the international community to act immediately, warning of rising malnutrition among children, patients and the elderly.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor also cautioned that food shortages, bakery closures and falling purchasing power could revive famine-like conditions. Hamas accused Israel of attempting to reimpose starvation on the population and called on Arab nations and the international community to intervene.