The United Nations Aid of Rescue warns the “rot” of food at the Gaza border while Israel continues to violate humanitarian law with the blockade imposed on March 2.
The Palestinians of Gaza described surviving on canned food because the head of the United Nations warns warned that fresh products “rot” on the closed border of Gaza since an Israeli blockage on crucial humanitarian aid began 10 days ago.
Tom Fletcher, OCHA’s humanitarian affairs head, told the United Nations Security Council that all the entry points in Gaza were closed to cargo with “rotten food, expiration medicines and stuck vital medical equipment”.
“International humanitarian law prohibits blind attacks, the obstruction of vital aid, the destruction of infrastructure essential to the survival of civilians and hostage taking … If the fundamental principles of humanitarian law still count, the international community must act while it can maintain them,” he added.
All the entry points into Gaza are closed. On the border, food is rotting. Medicine has expired. Vital medical equipment is stuck. If the fundamental principles of humanitarian law still count, the international community must act to respect them. pic.twitter.com/mqkyexzyvi
– Tom Fletcher (@unreliefchief) March 28, 2025
Fletcher’s comments arise while the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said on Friday that it only had “5,700 tonnes of food stocks in Gaza – enough to support PAM operations for a maximum of two weeks”.
The organization said that in the middle of the Israeli blockade, the price of food has increased considerably, with a 25 kg (55 lb) wheat flour bag now costing up to $ 50, an “400% increase compared to the prices of the pre-Mars 18”.
Since early March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that food and aid would be prohibited from entering Gaza until Hamas has agreed to extend the first stage of the January ceasefire agreement.
However, the Palestinian group refused to extend the first stage and prompted to advance in the second, which would negotiate the withdrawal of Israeli Gaza troops and the end of the war.
‘Canned food’
In a market in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, food supplies are limited to expensive preserves and vegetables.
Mustafa Homaid, a vegetable seller, told Tel Aviv Tribune that the market is “almost empty” because the price of goods is too high for people to buy.
“One kilo (2.2 pounds) of tomatoes tripled.
For Ahmed Balosha, a child moved to Jabalia, the prices increased that his family has not had fresh meat “for over a year”.
“We survive canned foods, bread and cheese. That’s it,” he said.
In the middle of the worsening of the food crisis, Gaza continues to be under the intense fire of Israeli attacks.
Since Israel resumed his war on March 18, nearly 900 Palestinians were killed, adding to the overall assessment of 50,250 people since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.
The attack on October 7 of Hamas against southern Israel killed 1,139 people and around 250 were taken as captives, triggering the current war.
