GAZA, (PIC)
The bread crisis continues in the Gaza Strip, in light of declining production, the disruption of several bakeries, and the shortage of fuel and flour, which has made obtaining a bundle of bread a daily challenge for residents, and revealed an increasing imbalance in the food market, at a time when most people depend on humanitarian aid to secure their basic needs.
Data indicates a decrease in production quantities by more than 30%, compared to a continued increase in demand, which led to a widening gap between supply and demand, and created an environment for high prices and the emergence of the black market.
Price gap and long queues
While a bundle of bread subsidized by the World Food Program (WFP) is sold at a price of 3 shekels, its price in the market ranges between 7 and 15 shekels, which constitutes a major burden on families, especially with declining incomes and rising flour prices, as the price of a bag of flour rose from 25 to 100 shekels.
Bread is one of the basic commodities directly linked to food security, which makes the crisis more acute in light of the difficult living conditions.
The Palestinian citizen Samir Baroud says that obtaining bread has come to require a daily effort that exceeds the capacity of the residents, in light of extreme overcrowding and the small quantities. He explains that many head to distribution points from the early hours of dawn, but a delay of minutes may mean losing the chance to obtain bread.
He adds that the scene of citizens returning to their homes empty-handed after hours of waiting has become repetitive, pointing out that the crisis is no longer limited to bread, but extends to the feeling of parents being unable to meet their families’ needs.
For his part, Wael Darwish says that the problem is not limited to queues, but also includes the difficulty of providing the price of the subsidized bundle, in light of the lack of liquidity and weak purchasing power. He points out that the crisis of “change” has become part of the daily suffering, as some are forced to borrow or search for cash exchange before heading to buy bread. Shortage of quantities and restricted distribution
Mahmoud al-Kilani, who is the owner of a bread point licensed by the WFP, confirms that the available quantities are no longer sufficient for the needs of the population, pointing to a decline in the daily share from about 1,000 bundles before Ramadan to only 750 bundles.
He explains that this shortage puts workers at distribution points in an embarrassing position, with the increasing number of people in need, which forces them to distribute one bundle per family, regardless of its size, to ensure the benefit of the largest possible number.
For his part, the head of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza, Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, warned of a “real disaster” threatening the continuation of bread production, in light of the restrictions imposed on the entry of raw materials and spare parts.
He explained that the prices of oils used to operate generators rose in an unprecedented way, from about 15 shekels per liter to nearly 2,000 shekels in the black market, which led to the stoppage of about half of the transport and distribution fleet.
He pointed out that the recent war destroyed more than 30 bakeries, while currently only about 30 bakeries are operating, with 15 other facilities waiting for the availability of supplies. He also noted that the costs of transporting commercial flour, which reach about 20,000 shekels per truck, contribute to raising prices. Supply gap
On his part, the Director General of Studies and Development at the Ministry of Economy, Muhammad Barbakh, said that the indicators of the crisis began since last February, with the WFP announcement of its intention to reduce contracting with bakeries.
He explained that the WFP, along with UNRWA, was covering the needs of about 1.2 million beneficiaries before the war, which makes the reduction of support a major burden on the local market.
He added that the Strip needs between 400 and 450 tons of flour daily, at a time when the market suffers from a sharp shortage in supplies, with continued restrictions on the crossings and the low number of entering trucks.
He suggested that the reduction in support might be linked to a lack of funding and a rearrangement of aid priorities, in addition to reports of wasted resources and the spread of the black market.
Barbakh stressed the need to deal with flour as a “national commodity that must not be touched,” warning that the rise of its prices to record levels represents an “unforgivable crime.”
He revealed the preparation of a multi-level plan to face the crisis, including securing international funding, activating the role of the private sector in importing, operating local mills, and strengthening the strategic stock.
He called for intensifying diplomatic efforts to mobilize international support, in addition to enhancing community awareness of the seriousness of the stage, in light of a living crisis that is expanding day after day in the Gaza Strip.