High prices exasperate hunger among the residents of the Gaza Strip

GAZA – Residents of the Gaza Strip are experiencing unprecedented tragic conditions, facing hunger, illness, indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes, and the destruction of homes. Many sleep in shelters, on the streets, and in public buildings.اضافة اعلان

According to Al-Mamlaka TV, Gazans are experiencing shortages in everything: medicine, treatment, food, and water. They lack basic necessities such as food and fuel, living without electricity since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on October 7. This has forced them to use primitive methods, such as firewood and charcoal, to secure their daily bread due to a severe shortage of cooking gas.

Mustafa Ahmed left his home at dawn, hoping to secure a spot at the flour distribution point of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Despite the overcrowding, he persisted to obtain flour to provide bread for his hungry children.

He is not alone in this struggle, as many Gazans attempt to obtain flour and available food in the market or through aid distribution points, fearing a resumption of war after the ceasefire, making movement difficult.

Ahmed explained, "Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, all crossings have been closed, and no goods or fuel have entered. As a result, we have been without electricity entirely, and all food items have disappeared from stores due to a lack of new supplies, including locally produced items as all factories have either stopped working due to Israeli shelling or lack of fuel."

With the Gaza Strip no longer producing flour, the only option is assistance provided by UNRWA, but the shortage of cooking gas has caused all bakeries to stop working. Citizens now have to obtain flour and make bread at home using alternative methods such as firewood or charcoal.

Yaser Abu Hleib remarked, "Due to the high demand for UNRWA's flour, obtaining it requires going to its centers, presenting the ID card, and quantities are distributed according to the family size. These centers witness extreme congestion, with people sitting for two or three days, sleeping on the ground to secure their share."



People resorting to local shops for purchases find very few food items, as well as a surplus of cleaning materials since their sale doesn't depend on expiration dates, and no one seems to care about them.

Hossam Al-Mashni, a merchant, confirmed that food items and all goods have disappeared from the market because they are no longer entering through the closed crossings. Some traders who hoard goods exploit the situation and sell them at exorbitant prices. For instance, a bag of flour, which used to cost 30 shekels, is now sold for 120 to 150 shekels. Salt, which was sold for only one shekel per kilo, now ranges from 10 to 15 shekels. Sugar, once three shekels per kilo, is now sold for 5 to 9 shekels.

Mashni suggested forming popular committees to provide means of resilience for citizens by receiving and distributing aid fairly, discouraging hoarders, and forcing them to sell at pre-war prices. He highlighted the astronomical rise in the prices of chicken eggs, chicken meat, red meat, and fish, which have practically disappeared from the market.


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