The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that its food reserves in the Gaza Strip have been completely depleted.
Since 2 March, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"The World Food Programme delivered its last food stocks to kitchens serving hot meals in the Gaza Strip today," the WFP said in a statement. "These kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days."
Israel has restricted humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, alleging that Hamas diverts the assistance, a claim that they deny.
"This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced," the WFP noted.
After more than 18 months of devastating conflict, the United Nations has warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million inhabitants of the area.
“For weeks, the kitchens serving hot meals have been the only consistent source of food aid for people in Gaza. While they only cover half the population and 25% of daily food needs, they have been a vital lifeline,” the WFP emphasised.
According to the UN agency, the 25 bakeries it supported in Gaza had to close on 31 March due to shortages of wheat flour and baking oil.
The WFP reported that over 116,000 tonnes of food aid—”enough to feed a million people for four months”—are stored at humanitarian corridors, awaiting entry into the region.
