Only 4 bakeries operating in Gaza out of 25 WFP-contracted bakeries

Abdul Nasser Al-Ajrami, head of the Bakeries Owners Association in the Gaza Strip, said on Saturday that only four bakeries out of 25 WFP-contracted bakeries are operating in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Al-Ajrami added, in statements reported by the Palestinian News Agency (Safa), that the Israeli occupation is preventing the operation of a number of major bakeries because it has classified large areas as "red" zones, forcing residents to flee.

He explained that no bakery has been operating in Khan Yunis Governorate due to the ongoing shelling and displacement, with the main bakery, "Al-Qalaa," prevented from operating.

A bakery in the Nuseirat refugee camp was also closed after operating for only one day due to the influx of thousands of hungry people, preventing its continuation.

Al-Ajrami pointed out that the northern Gaza Strip is experiencing a similar situation, with most bakeries targeted, while the rest are unable to operate due to the intensified shelling.

He pointed out that the quantities of flour entering Gaza are very small and do not cover the minimum needs, amid the Israeli army's control over the movement of trucks and the theft of some shipments by armed groups in Khan Yunis.

According to Al-Ajrami, only 50 bakeries out of 140 remain operational, of which only 25 are known and verified due to their contracts with the World Food Programme, while the fate of another 25 bakeries has been unknown since last March.

T/S

ANHA