Lack of fuel threatens UN food aid to Gaza, WFP says

Palestinians wait to bake bread, as the conflict between Hamas and Israel continues

FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian child looks at bread baked on a firewood oven, amid fuel and power shortages, as the conflict between Hamas and Israel continues, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File photo

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"Only two of our contracted bakeries have fuel to produce bread at the moment and tomorrow there might be none," World Food Programme (WFP) Representative Samer Abdeljaber said.

"This would be a terrible blow to the thousands of families living in shelters who have been relying on the daily bread deliveries," he added in a statement.

The Rome-based agency said it provides daily bread supplies, on average, for 200,000 people in shelters, but this fell to 150,000 on Wednesday due to the lack of fuel.

It also said that "essential food commodities are rapidly running out in Gaza's shops", as they are unable to restock "due to damaged roads, safety concerns and shortage of fuel".

On Thursday, WFP chief Cindy McCain told Reuters that "insane bureaucracy" at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza was slowing the flow of humanitarian aid to a "dribble".

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters