Flour supplies deplete in Gaza as 'Israel' tightens siege, UNRWA warns
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As the Israeli blockade halts aid, over 2.4 million Palestinians face severe hunger amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
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Somaya Al-Najjar, 60, pours frying oil to cook peas in their family tent in al-Mawasi, on the outskirts of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Sunday that its flour supplies in the Gaza Strip have completely run out amid the ongoing, intensified Israeli siege and the continued blockade of humanitarian aid.
In a post on X, UNRWA confirmed that its flour stock had been depleted for days, adding that the World Food Programme also reported on April 25 that its food stocks in Gaza were entirely exhausted.
The UN agency highlighted that nearly 3,000 trucks carrying life-saving aid are still waiting for permission to enter Gaza, as the Israeli occupation continues to block the passage of humanitarian shipments through closed crossings since March 2.
“#Gaza: children are starving.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) April 27, 2025
The Government of Israel continues to block the entry of food and other basics.
A manmade and politically motivated starvation.
Nearly 2 months of siege.
Calls to bring in supplies are going unheeded.”
- @UNLazzarini pic.twitter.com/wHMV4BuFLQ
Hunger worsening in Gaza
UNRWA warned that "hunger is worsening" in Gaza, stressing that over 2.4 million Palestinians, including children, face severe food shortages and rely on hot meals provided by charity organizations to survive.
The agency added that the prolonged Israeli closure of the crossings, the longest in Gaza’s history, has worsened the humanitarian crisis, leading to the collapse of already fragile markets and food systems.
UNRWA called for the immediate lifting of the siege and the urgent entry of humanitarian aid to save civilian lives in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The UNRWA previously stated that overcrowded shelters throughout Gaza are in dire condition, service providers are overwhelmed, and essential resources are running out.
Since March 2, "Israel" has closed Gaza's border crossings to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, according to reports from government bodies, human rights organizations, and international agencies, marking the longest blockade in the strip's history.
Lazzarini warns of starvation
UNRWA's chief Philippe Lazzarini stated Friday that children in the Gaza Strip are “starving” due to "Israel’s" aid blockade, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a post on X, Lazzarini stated that “#Gaza: children are starving. The Government of "Israel" continues to block the entry of food + other basics. A manmade & politically motivated starvation. Nearly 2 months of siege. Calls to bring in supplies are going unheeded."
His statement came as the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed it has distributed its final food supplies to kitchens in Gaza.
“Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip. These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days,” the UN agency stated.
For weeks, these hot meals kitchens have served as the only consistent source of food aid for the population. Although they reached only half of Gaza’s residents and met just 25% of their daily nutritional needs, they remained a critical lifeline, WFP noted.
