wHen Reham Alkahlout, a mother of four, searching for markets on Al-Nasr in Gaza, was attracted by the irritating anxiety of a row of scarce stalls, the harsh smell of burning wood and plastic, and the scattered necessities that were too high to spread, if everything was available.

Once the vibrant agricultural products and daily prosperity, the market will be trapped, bombarded and economic collapse will be hollowed out. Residents said the price of flour has risen 5,000% since Israeli forces resumed offensive operations on March 18, and residents said the price of cooking oil has risen 1,200%.

“No one can afford money,” said Alkahlout, 33. “Sometimes, we are just forced to buy a small amount to support our children.”

According to the International Aid Group, famine has been shrouded in the enclaves for most of the 19-month war. In a UN-led group, their assessments are based on complex formulas called the Integrated Food Security Stage Classification. The latest report released on May 12 found that the entire Gaza is eligible for a "state of emergency" or at risk of famine. About 470,000 residents (22%) reached a “catastrophe” defined as “hunger, death, poverty and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels.”

Food prices tell the same story of scarcity. Residents in northern Gaza said a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rice cost $3 in February and now $10. Cucumbers cost 7 times more. Baby formula has tripled, and the price of a can of peas has risen by 1,000%. Some items, such as fruit and chicken, are simply unavailable.

Israel controls what is entering the zone and imposes a lockdown on AIDS on March 2 and collapses under a two-month ceasefire. The New York Times It was reported on May 13 that experts from the Israeli military shared that the assessment of hungry aid organizations had become a direct danger.

"The first symptom of hunger is suffering," said Dr. John Kahler. "And the pain doesn't go away. It's not like it gets better or forgets."

Civilians interviewed from time in Gaza describe the increasingly desperate search for essential necessities. Alwaheidi, who lives near Gaza City, fears that one day she may not be able to provide her children. The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 caused a nineteen-month war, killing about 1,200 people in Israel and capturing about 250 people, which has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of Gaza in Gaza, including providing residents with residents during previous wars.

The collapse of the public kitchen

Gaza’s community kitchens were once a key safety net for thousands of families. Public spaces provide a hub for volunteers to prepare and distribute free meals, but only a small percentage is still operating, leaving a huge gap in emergency food delivery.

According to residents, as the price of cooking gas increased by 2,400%, flour increased by more than 5,600%, and facilities could no longer prepare food on a large scale. “The whole concept of the community kitchen we started during the war would be almost completely closed because there is no more supplies,” said Juliette Touma, director of communications at UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Palestinian Refugee Relief Agency for the Near East). “Everything price has risen dramatically.”

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit that serves meals to communities affected by disasters and humanitarian crises, and announced on May 7 that it was forced to stop cooking in Gaza. “The border needs to be open to the world’s central kitchens so that it can feed those in need,” said WCK Gaza’s director of response. “We have the ability to provide 500,000 meals per day for hungry families in Gaza if we have full access to our infrastructure, partnerships and supplies we have the ability to provide 500,000 meals per day for hungry families in Gaza.”

robbery

Thousands of aid trucks awaited on the Gaza border were stopped by Israel, who argued that Hamas (who has been crossing the enclave since the 2007 election victory) had shifted most of the aid. "During the war, Israel allowed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and promote it," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a statement. "But Hamas stole the help of the people and made money from it."

Residents say they are afraid of robbery, which tends to worsen by the shortage.

"About a week ago, vegetable shops in the Al-Nasr, al-shati and Sheikh Radwan districts were robbed," said Reham Alkahlout, a mother and resident of Al-Nasr, also located in northern Gaza. "How can a family support a family meet the needs of the family when there is no monthly income? Some resort to theft," she said. The Associated Press reported that armed groups and civilians participated in robbing aid warehouses and shops in northern Gaza. Hamas admitted to executing the individual accused of robbery and announced a 5,000-member force to fight armed criminals.

UNRWA's main complex in Gaza is targeted by predators, as are markets and community kitchens. "We've seen individual predators. We've also seen organized crime and we've lost a lot of predators' help," spokesman Touma said. "At the same time, the ceasefire began and we've started to see more aid coming in, and the number of people plundering was greatly reduced."

Maternal and child health crisis

The impact of food shortage in Gaza is particularly severe for pregnant women and children. According to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition since the aid lockdown began in March.