WFP says runs out of food stocks in Gaza as border crossings remain closed

GAZA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday it has run out of food stocks in the Gaza Strip as border crossings remain closed.

"Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meal kitchens in the Gaza Strip. These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days," the WFP announced in a statement.

According to the organization, hot meal kitchens have been the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza for weeks. "Despite reaching just half the population with only 25 percent of daily food needs, they have provided a critical lifeline," read the statement.

On March 31, all 25 bakeries supported by the WFP were closed after wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out. That same week, WFP food parcels distributed to families, each containing two weeks' worth of rations for families, were exhausted, it added.

No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossings remain closed. This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems, WFP noted.

Since March 2, Israel has halted the entry of food and aid into the Gaza Strip, and resumed military operations on March 18. ■