UN-supported bakeries in southern Gaza were forced to shut down again on Sunday, just three days after resuming limited operations, due to a severe shortage of flour following Israel’s ongoing blockade.
According to reports, the bakeries, funded by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), had reopened last Thursday following a two-month closure. However, their brief return was cut short after exhausting the small quantities of flour recently allowed into the territory.
Ahmad al-Banna, who operates one of the bakeries, explained that the limited supply received was quickly used up. “We only managed to function for three days. Now, we’ve closed again because the flour has completely run out,” he said.
He noted that all bread baked during those three days was returned to the WFP for distribution, though the amount fell far short of meeting the overwhelming demand.
Al-Banna warned of a looming catastrophe, stating that Gaza is on the brink of famine. “People are dying from hunger, and the minimal aid trickling in is nowhere near sufficient,” he added, urging the international community to intervene urgently and press Israel to reopen border crossings for the delivery of food and flour.
On April 6, the WFP announced the suspension of its bakery operations due to a lack of fuel and flour, citing Israeli-imposed restrictions on humanitarian access. By April 25, the agency reported that its food stocks for hot meal kitchens had also been depleted.
These bakeries have been vital in helping to feed displaced Palestinians, who have plunged further into poverty as a result of the war, according to the World Bank.
In a statement on Monday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said that over 84 days of total blockade, at least 46,200 aid trucks should have entered the enclave. Yet, only around 100 trucks—barely one per cent of what is needed—have reportedly been permitted, undermining Israeli claims of facilitating humanitarian relief.
The office stressed that Gaza urgently requires at least 500 aid trucks daily, including food, medicine, and other essential supplies, as well as 50 fuel trucks, to prevent further loss of life.
Since March 2, Israel has kept all Gaza crossings closed to humanitarian aid, worsening an already dire situation for the territory’s 2.4 million residents. The blockade has led to mass starvation, with increasing reports of deaths from hunger.
Israel’s military bombardment in Gaza, ongoing since October 2023, has killed over 53,900 Palestinians—most of them women and children—despite repeated international appeals for a ceasefire.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice concerning its actions against civilians in the enclave.