WFP announces Gaza bakeries shutdown due to Israel’s obstruction of supplies

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that all bakeries in central Gaza have shut down due to a lack of supplies resulting from the ongoing Israeli genocide.

The WFP posted on X: “All bakeries in central #Gaza have shut down due to severe supply shortages.”

“Bread is a lifeline for many families — often the only food they can access. Now, even that is slipping out of reach. WFP continues its call for safe & secure access to vital humanitarian aid into Gaza,” it added.

On 21 November, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, stated that only seven of the 19 bakeries supported by humanitarian partners in Gaza remain operational because of Israel’s attacks and hindrances.

Dujarric highlighted in a press conference the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in Gaza who are struggling to survive amid Israeli attacks.

He explained that the reason why most bakeries are unable to operate is Israel’s blockade, which is preventing the delivery of necessary materials.

READ: Women and children scavenge for food in Gaza, UN official says

On Wednesday, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned: “Hunger in Gaza is at critical levels, with people scavenging through weeks-old waste for scraps of food.”

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are suffering from a deliberate and systematic policy of starvation due to food shortages caused by Israel preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, according to several UN and international institutions.

To no avail, the international community has been calling on Israel to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid to prevent a widespread famine, with nearly two million displaced people.

Due to Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid, famine has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, with displaced people reducing their meals and often relying on spoiled flour that would typically be used for animal feed.

A maximum of 30 aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip daily, conveying insufficient quantities and are “a drop in the ocean compared with the dire needs of Palestinians”, according to a statement by UNRWA media officer Enas Hamdan.

READ: Over 2m Palestinians face death from hunger, thirst amid ongoing Israel war: Hamas