Gaza bakeries warn of shutdown within 48 hours due to flour shortage

The Gaza Bakery Owners Association warned on Thursday that bakeries across the strip could shut down within 48 hours. Flour and other essential baking supplies are running out, raising fears that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will lose access to bread.

This warning comes as international food assistance is sharply reduced. Hunger is spreading while Israeli restrictions continue to obstruct the delivery of essential supplies into the territory. The association stated that dwindling stocks threaten the continuation of bread production.

The World Food Programme announced major reductions in its humanitarian operations three days prior. The UN agency cut food assistance for half a million Palestinians due to severe funding shortages. It also reduced the number of hot meals distributed daily across the region.

Families facing these cuts may lose one of their most essential food sources. Alternative forms of assistance are also disappearing. The WFP reduced the number of recipients from 1.6 million to 1.1 million people. Approximately 500,000 Palestinians are now without monthly food assistance.

Household food rations have been cut in half under the revised distributions. Families now receive one food parcel instead of two, alongside a smaller bag of flour. Daily hot meal distributions fell from 250,000 to 150,000, eliminating 100,000 meals a day.

Unemployment has exceeded 80 percent, leaving much of the population without reliable income. This severely limits families’ ability to purchase food even when products are available in local markets. Bread remains a vital staple for those unable to afford meat or dairy.

The WFP has appealed for $450 million in urgent funding to sustain operations through March 2027. The agency reported that 1.4 million people in Gaza experience acute food insecurity. Around 200,000 face emergency levels of food deprivation amid the crisis.