The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has raised alarms, reporting that no food has entered northern Gaza since the start of October, leaving one million people at risk of starvation. The WFP disclosed this in a statement to CNN on Friday, October 11.
In August, around 700 aid trucks had entered northern Gaza, but that number dropped to just 400 in September following the halt of commercial operations at the Allenby Crossing, which borders the occupied West Bank and Jordan. Since then, no food trucks have made it through in October.
The WFP also revealed on Wednesday that aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip have hit their lowest level in months, forcing the organization to halt food parcel distributions for the first time this month.
“Hunger remains rampant, and the threat of famine persists. If the flow of assistance does not resume, one million vulnerable people will be deprived of this lifeline,” warned the WFP.
Adding to the crisis, two key bakeries in central Gaza, Al-Banna and Zadna in Deir al-Balah, have been closed for three days due to a shortage of flour and fuel, according to bakery workers.
Ahmad Abed, an employee at Al-Banna Bakery, described the dire situation: “The day I work, I can feed my family. The day I don’t, we don’t eat.”
Haitham Badri, a father from Deir al-Balah, shared his struggles to find flour to make bread for his children, a vital staple for Palestinians since the conflict began over a year ago.
Earlier this week, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that September saw the lowest volume of supplies entering Gaza since March 2024.
The situation has been exacerbated by Israel’s military launching a new ground operation in northern Gaza on October 6, responding to signs of Hamas rebuilding efforts.
