The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on the 25th (local time) that food stocks in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have been completely depleted, stating, "Today, we delivered the last remaining food to free soup kitchens in Gaza." In a statement released that day, the WFP said, "For over seven weeks, no humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza, with all major border crossings closed. This is the longest blockade Gaza has experienced..."
A senior UN official stated, "We now have nothing left to give them, and once the last reserves are gone, the distribution centers will have to close. People are coping for now, but the situation will deteriorate rapidly, and that point is not far off."
The UN reported last month that the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza had increased by 80% to 3,700 compared to the previous month.
The shortage of medical supplies is also severe. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated, "Everything is needed, from sterile gloves to body bags."
As aid supplies dwindle, the Guardian reported that there are hardly any goods for sale in Gaza's markets, and most of what is available is too expensive for residents to afford.
Since the end of the ceasefire, the price of 1 kg of tomatoes has quadrupled to $8, sugar has increased sevenfold, and flour has risen tenfold to fifteenfold. Meat and dairy products are unavailable.
Um Abed (45), a journalist in Gaza, pleaded, "We eat two meals a day, sometimes only one. We have very little food left."
She added, "Hospitals have been destroyed, so we cannot receive treatment or find medicine. There is no clean water or electricity, and garbage surrounds us. Gaza has become a place suffering from diseases, and people are slowly dying as if they have received a death sentence."
Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, and other aid into Gaza for nearly two months since the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreed with Hamas ended on May 1st, while ceasefire negotiations remain stalled.
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