Gaza Bakeries Warn of Shutdown Within 48 Hours Amid Flour Shortage

Gaza, MINA – Bakeries across the Gaza Strip could be forced to shut down within 48 hours because of dwindling flour supplies and shortages of essential materials, the Gaza Strip’s Bakery Owners Association warned on Thursday.

The warning raises fresh concerns over food access for Palestinian families already struggling with shrinking humanitarian assistance, continued bombardment, displacement, and the approaching winter.

The association said declining flour stocks were threatening bread production at a time when much of Gaza’s population relies on humanitarian aid to meet basic food needs. A shutdown would further restrict access to bread, one of the main staples in residents’ daily diets.

The warning comes three days after the World Food Programme (WFP) announced significant reductions in its assistance to Gaza because of funding shortages, raising fears that families could face even greater difficulty obtaining food.

On October 19, the WFP said it had reduced the number of people receiving assistance in Gaza from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. The agency also halved food rations, providing families with one food parcel instead of two, along with a smaller bag of flour.

Daily hot meal distributions were also cut from 250,000 to 150,000, further reducing support for people who cannot afford to buy food.

According to the WFP, approximately 1.4 million people in Gaza face crisis-level food insecurity or worse, including around 200,000 experiencing emergency-level conditions.

The agency also reported that only one in five children receives a sufficiently diverse diet, while unemployment exceeds 80 percent. The lack of income leaves many families unable to purchase food even when products are available in local markets.

The threatened bakery closures reflect a wider breakdown in Gaza’s food supply system. Although some goods may remain available in markets, high unemployment and reduced aid prevent many households from accessing sufficient food. Children, patients, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to inadequate nutrition.

The WFP has appealed for $450 million in emergency funding to sustain its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank through March 2027.

Food shortages are unfolding alongside an increasingly severe shelter crisis as winter approaches. On October 13, Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development warned that approximately 300,000 families faced winter without adequate shelter. The ministry said nearly 90 percent of tents currently in use had deteriorated and were no longer suitable for habitation.

The combined pressures of food insecurity, inadequate shelter, and reduced humanitarian assistance threaten to worsen living conditions for families displaced by the war.

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has intensified since October 2023, when Israel launched its war on the enclave. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 injured, according to the figures provided in the report. Large parts of Gaza’s infrastructure have also been destroyed or damaged.

Restrictions on the entry of food, water, medicine, and fuel have further complicated relief operations. Although the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025 was expected to facilitate greater humanitarian access, aid deliveries have reportedly remained insufficient to meet the population’s needs.

The latest warning from bakery owners underscores the vulnerability of Gaza’s food supply, particularly as humanitarian agencies struggle with funding shortages and residents face increasingly difficult living conditions.

Humanitarian organizations have called for additional funding and unimpeded access for essential supplies to prevent further deterioration in food security. Without sufficient flour, fuel, and other necessities, Gaza’s bakeries could soon be unable to provide bread to residents who depend on them for daily sustenance.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)