GAZA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian officials and economic experts warned Thursday that the food crisis in the Gaza Strip was worsening, citing Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid and commercial goods, shortages of essential commodities and the closure of most bakeries.
Nahed Shuhaiber, head of the Private Transport Companies Association in Gaza, told the official Voice of Palestine radio that the enclave was facing severe shortages of basic necessities and food supplies.
Shuhaiber said Israeli authorities strictly controlled the types of goods allowed through crossings, leading to critical shortages of vegetables and flour.
Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, head of the bakeries association in Gaza, said Israeli authorities had prevented flour and food supplies from entering the enclave for several days, forcing 10 of Gaza's 17 commercial bakeries to close.
Al-Ajrami added that 21 bakeries supported by the UN World Food Programme produce about 150 tons of bread daily, only about a quarter of the enclave's needs.
Chronic patients, 75-year-old Omar Abdel-Hadi and 43-year-old diabetic Hanin Ahmed, told Xinhua that they struggled to maintain necessary diets and often relied on a single meal a day.
The Hamas-run authorities of social development in Gaza condemned the restrictions, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to open the crossings.
Other Palestinian factions, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also condemned the blockade, noting that daily aid trucks remain far below the agreed 600.
Economic expert Ahmed Abu Qamar noted that the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing at the tri-border junction of Israel, the Gaza Strip, and Egypt, was closed for six days last week before partially reopening.
Abu Qamar told Xinhua that Gaza requires more than 800 trucks of goods daily but receives only about 200, warning that acute hunger could resurge. ■
