Humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza: Palestinians resort to grinding animal feed to survive amid Israeli blockade

By Ramzi Mahmud and Mahmut Geldi

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip who are grappling with hunger have resorted to grinding animal feed to make bread due to the prolonged scarcity of wheat flour amid Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid.

Awatif al-Besyuni, who has been affected by Israel's attacks, told Anadolu that residents have been forced to grind broken wheat and corn, which are used as animal feed, to make meals.

Besyuni emphasized the harsh living conditions, noting that they are not only enduring the effects of the war but also struggling with hunger and freezing temperatures.

She expressed the plight of children who, despite requesting various foods, cannot have their simplest desires fulfilled due to the prolonged assaults.

Highlighting the scarcity of flour for bread and the struggles of children, Besyuni urged international intervention and Arab and Islamic countries to pressure Israel to halt the war and alleviate the suffering in Gaza.

Hasan Seref, a Tel al-Zaatar resident, describes a tragic situation with complete food depletion, emphasizing the severe effect on children who cannot comprehend the forced starvation amid the war and blockade.

Food supplies have completely run out, leaving residents fasting for up to 48 hours, he said.

Um Asad al-Ketri, who makes bread in a destroyed house in the Jabalia Refugee Camp following an Israeli bombardment, highlighted the extreme conditions residents endure just to survive.

Making bread from bird feed, al-Ketri said: "This bread is made from bird feed." Makers attempt to soften the bread made from the ingredients, which is hard and unsuitable for consumption to feed children.

The Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.3 million residents, has been under continuous attack by the Israeli military since Oct. 7, with the region enduring a complete blockade and a denial of humanitarian aid access.

The ongoing Israeli bombardment and the full blockade have resulted in the depletion of essential food supplies in the north where hundreds of thousands of people are now grappling with the challenges of hunger.

In the northern region, the population faces the threat of death due to malnutrition-related diseases, with approximately 600,000 Palestinians at risk, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced in November that everyone in Gaza has been exposed to food insecurity due to Israel's blockade since Oct. 7.

Although a humanitarian agreement allowed one week of aid entry into the northern regions from Nov. 24, the Tel Aviv administration extended the deprivation of all forms of assistance to northern Gaza until early January after the November humanitarian pause.

Limited humanitarian aid entering Gaza, as reported by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), is insufficient, covering only 7% of the population's needs.