CAIRO: Dozens of community kitchens in Gaza were forced to shut down on Thursday due to a lack of supplies, exacerbating the ongoing hunger crisis in the enclave. This closure, which affects between 400,000 to 500,000 people, follows a halt in operations by the US-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity after running out of ingredients. The charity also reported being blocked by Israel from bringing in much-needed aid.
According to Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network (PNGO), most of Gaza’s 170 community kitchens are now closed because of Israel’s continued blockade. He warned that the hunger catastrophe in Gaza is worsening as people lose their last source of food. Additionally, those attempting to cook independently face the issue of contaminated flour still available on the market.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the Israeli aid blockade, calling it “unacceptable” and a violation of international humanitarian law. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with both food and medical supplies in critical shortage.
On Thursday, Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least 105 people in one of the largest single-day death tolls in the past two months, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to over 52,700.
