The Ongoing Food Crisis in Gaza

Since Israel imposed a food embargo on Gaza after the 7th October attack, we have been doing all we can to make sure that people sheltering from the Israeli attacks have been able to have food and water.

This is now even more important as the Rafah crossing has been closed to aid supplies for 6 weeks and starvation and food insecurity levels across Gaza continue to rise.

We have worked alongside the Welfare Association, the Gaza Sunbirds and most recently, MA’AN Development to get this vital support to those who desperately need it.

Working with local networks

Over a four-day period from 5th - 9th June, MA’AN distributed 7,825 hot vegetarian meals in Al Zawaydeh, north of Rafah, each serving five people and reaching 39,125 individuals.

Through its local networks within Gaza, MA’AN was able to buy vegetables from the few remaining farmers who could still grow and harvest their crops — there is no meat available now in Gaza. Prices have risen sharply due to the massive shortages — these meals cost $50,000, far more than they would have done before 7th October.

This problem is further exacerbated by a shortage of cash as no new money has been allowed in since the beginning of the war, so there is very little available currency.

From Pot to People: We are working with local partners to get vital support to those who desperately need it.
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The challenge

To give you a fuller idea of how hard it is to get food, on 13th June, MA’AN asked us to delay sending through another grant for emergency food aid in the north of Gaza, as they could only find a very small amount of bread to purchase.

We have now redirected this grant to pay for hot meals in the desperately overcrowded areas in central Gaza, where some supplies are still available. But the needs are immense, as over 900,000 people are sheltering in tents along a narrow strip of land beside the beach with no basic amenities and this is going into the hottest months of the year.

Please help.