UNRWA suspends food distribution in Gaza
Relief agency says exhausted all stocks of flour in its warehouses in Strip due to Israeli blockade
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced Thursday morning that it has exhausted all stocks of flour in its warehouses in Gaza "due to the ongoing crisis with irregular border access and the lack of wheat flour in the Strip."
According to the agency, wheat supplies that were scheduled to arrive in Gaza on December 9-10 were unable to enter due to the rocket fire on Israel, "hence the mills have run out of flour and UNRWA has been forced to suspend food distribution."
Food distribution for both emergency and regular programs will be suspended from Thurs 18th December until further notice, the agency said.
UNRWA said on its website that "all crossings for goods into the Strip are closed and no humanitarian supplies, fuel and other needed commodities are being allowed to enter.
"A total of 750,000 refugees out of a population of 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip depend on food assistance from UNRWA. On average, the Agency distributes food to about 20,000 refugees per day. Once the supply of flour resumes, UNRWA will work as quickly as it can to clear the backlog and get back on schedule," it said.
Israeli security officials have said that the government would agree to resume the ceasefire with the armed Palestinian groups in Gaza and reopen the goods crossings if the rocket fire on the Negev region ceases. However, they added, should the attacks continue the IDF is prepared to launch either a pinpoint or an extensive operation in the Hamas-controlled enclave.
Israeli aircraft launched two nighttime strikes against terror infrastructure in Gaza for the first time in six months. A few hours later four Qassams were fired from the northern Strip toward the Negev region, but no injuries were reported.
