Desperation and Hunger: Gaza's Bakery Closures Deepen Crisis

In Gaza, the closure of 25 bakeries by the United Nations has left families like Bilal Mohammad Ramadan AbuKresh's grappling with severe food shortages. Having already endured the loss of his home, family members, and job due to the ongoing war, AbuKresh now faces a collapsing food supply that once provided a semblance of stability for him and his four children. The recent measure was announced after the World Food Program stated it could no longer provide flour and fuel for operations.

Before the bakery closures, the long lines for bread resembled a scene of desperation akin to an apocalyptic nightmare, according to AbuKresh. Despite the fierce competition for limited supplies causing prices to skyrocket — he recalled recent prices of $30 for a bag of pasta — obtaining bread was a lifeline that he now struggles to secure.

With dwindling resources, he is forced to make harrowing sacrifices, such as selling his children's jewelry and scavenging for recyclable materials to trade for food. “To secure a bag of bread for my children, I risk death a hundred times,” stated AbuKresh, underscoring the dire choices facing those in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis deepens.

As Israel's restrictions on aid persist into the fourth week, the hope of relief remains dim, leaving individuals like AbuKresh in an unyielding fight for survival amid ongoing turmoil.