Animals in the last remaining zoo in the Gaza Strip, Rafah Zoo, are facing serious risks due to the lack of food. Amidst a number of reported animal deaths, zookeepers have had to resort to feeding most of the animals bread soaked in water as food has become near impossible to find and the prices of whatever is available have skyrocketed.
This comes against the backdrop of a severe humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s ongoing bombardment and ground invasion of the Strip, which began in October, leaving a quarter of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents ‘starving’ according to the UN, and nine out of ten people unable to eat everyday.
Rafah Zoo closed its door to the public at the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, but has since welcomed a number of displaced families who are currently seeking shelter on its grounds.
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