How one bakery in Gaza is grappling with sparse resources and mounting demand
How one bakery in Gaza is grappling with sparse resources and mounting demand
On Thursday, world leaders met at a conference in Paris to discuss aid to Gaza as the humanitarian crisis there continues to unfold.
Over 1 million people in Gaza are going hungry as food and water supplies are running out, the United Nation’s World Food Program has warned. Local reports say Israeli airstrikes have destroyed bakeries across the strip, while many of those that remain are struggling to operate due to lack of fuel and flour.
Long lines and frustrated families — these scenes are an everyday sight outside Gaza’s bakeries.
In Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, a remaining bakery is among those grappling to keep up with massive demand for crucial supplies of bread as people line up for sparse resources.
“I spent four or five hours and at the end only get one portion of bread. I have 30 people to provide for. How is one portion enough for them all?” said one woman in line. “We’re living on one meal a day now.”
The United Nations says it’s now common for people to wait for hours. Even then, there’s no guarantee there’ll be bread. Bakers work around the clock, mostly with flour supplied by the U.N. Nongovernmental organizations also help where they can. But with so many people being told to move to South Gaza, the pressure here is getting worse.
“The amount we produce is not even enough for a third of the people who need it,” said one baker. “But we are producing an enormous amount in comparison to our usual work in normal times.”
“Bread is the last staple food option for people in Gaza, and most of the supplies are gone — especially that also there is no fuel,” said Abeer Etefa of the U.N. World Food Programme. “Fifty percent of homes in Gaza have been destroyed, so people don’t have access to cooking facilities. If you give them a box of you know pasta or you know dry food rations, they’ll not be able to cook it.”
Bread plays a vital role in feeding Gaza’s hungry population. It’s the most filling and the cheapest option, so bakeries are a lifeline. But with bombardment continuing across the Gaza Strip, the lines outside the remaining bakeries are only likely to increase.
Additional reporting by BBC Arabic’s Adnan El-Bursh.
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