Dozens of community kitchens in Gaza closed on Thursday, May 8, due to a shortage of supplies, significantly affecting efforts to combat the rising hunger in the region. This closure followed an announcement by the US-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity, which stated it had run out of the ingredients necessary to provide free meals and had been blocked by Israel from delivering aid. Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network (PNGO), confirmed that most of Gaza’s 170 community kitchens had shut down because of the ongoing Israeli blockade.

The closures are expected to lead to a loss of 400,000 to 500,000 free meals per day, impacting Gaza's 2.3 million residents. Shawa emphasized that the remaining kitchens are likely to close soon, worsening the already dire hunger situation. Many Gazans trying to cook at home have found that the flour available in markets is contaminated with mites and sand.

Amidst this, the Gaza health ministry reported at least 105 deaths in the past 24 hours due to Israeli military strikes, marking one of the highest daily death tolls in two months. The ongoing conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, has claimed over 52,700 lives. People like Mohammad Abu Ayesh, a displaced father of nine, are forced to feed their children with poor-quality flour, despite its inedible smell. The dire situation has led to growing international pressure on Israel to lift its aid blockade, imposed after a ceasefire collapsed in March. Israel has accused aid agencies of allowing supplies to fall into Hamas' hands, a claim Hamas denies, arguing that Israel is using hunger as a weapon against civilians.

In southern Gaza, Huda Abu Diyya shared her anguish after receiving what may be her family's last meal from a community kitchen. The scarcity of food and the high costs have left many, including vulnerable populations, on the brink of starvation. Shawa warned that the already limited meals, mostly rice and lentils, might soon be unavailable, and the community faces the risk of deaths among the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the ill.

Looting of community kitchens and stores has increased, prompting Hamas security forces to crack down on local gangs. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA has reported that over 2 million people in Gaza are facing severe food shortages, with prices of basic goods, like flour, skyrocketing to unaffordable levels.