Warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the cessation of bakeries in Gaza

Gaza - Ofoq News - The Ministry of Social Development in Gaza warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the cessation of bakeries and the occupation’s prevention of the entry of flour trucks.

She said in a statement that unprecedented catastrophic humanitarian repercussions threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced and afflicted families, following the forced cessation of the majority of bakeries in the Gaza Strip, and the refusal of the Israeli occupation to allow the entry of shipments of flour and basic foodstuffs needed to provide relief to the population.

She stressed that the continued prevention of the entry of flour and operational supplies to bakeries represents an extension of the systematic policy of starvation and the use of food as a weapon against defenseless civilians, which leads to the collapse of the last line of food defense for needy families, children and women who depend entirely on what the relief system and international partners provide.

It warned of widespread famine and complete food insecurity among the displaced and the poorest families, and high rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children, the sick, and the elderly.

It called on the United Nations, the international community and humanitarian organizations to put immediate and serious pressure on the occupation to open the crossings and ensure the safe and rapid flow of flour shipments without restrictions or conditions.

She called on all international and regional relief institutions to intensify their efforts and provide urgent protection to the relief system to ensure that food aid reaches all those who need it in various regions of the sector.

Several bakeries closed their doors in the Gaza Strip, and more are expected to close due to the flour shortage.