UN Agency Reports Urgent Flour Shortage in Gaza Amid Aid Crisis
UNRWA warns of only six days' flour supply left for distribution as aid access declines.
GENEVA: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced on March 21, 2025, that it has sufficient flour for distribution to Gaza residents for only six more days.
Sam Rose, a spokesperson for UNRWA, emphasized the critical nature of the situation during a briefing in Geneva, stating that although the agency could extend the distribution period by reducing individual rations, it would not significantly alleviate the worsening food scarcity.
The declining access to essential supplies has raised alarm as UNRWA highlighted a drastic reduction in food aid distribution within Gaza, describing the current conditions as gravely concerning.
Rose noted that, due to the ongoing restrictions, six of the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme have been forced to close, leading to increasingly larger crowds forming outside the remaining operational bakeries.
This crisis comes on the heels of the prolonged conflict that resumed in October 2023. The current aid restrictions have persisted since early March, when Israel blocked the entry of goods into Gaza amid ongoing negotiations regarding a truce.
Since the cessation of hostilities approximately seven weeks ago, the available aid supplies have diminished significantly, causing sharp increases in prices for essential food items and fuel.
As a result, many residents are now compelled to ration their meals, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Sam Rose, a spokesperson for UNRWA, emphasized the critical nature of the situation during a briefing in Geneva, stating that although the agency could extend the distribution period by reducing individual rations, it would not significantly alleviate the worsening food scarcity.
The declining access to essential supplies has raised alarm as UNRWA highlighted a drastic reduction in food aid distribution within Gaza, describing the current conditions as gravely concerning.
Rose noted that, due to the ongoing restrictions, six of the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme have been forced to close, leading to increasingly larger crowds forming outside the remaining operational bakeries.
This crisis comes on the heels of the prolonged conflict that resumed in October 2023. The current aid restrictions have persisted since early March, when Israel blocked the entry of goods into Gaza amid ongoing negotiations regarding a truce.
Since the cessation of hostilities approximately seven weeks ago, the available aid supplies have diminished significantly, causing sharp increases in prices for essential food items and fuel.
As a result, many residents are now compelled to ration their meals, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
