Palestinians struggle to get food even as aid trickles in
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are still struggling to get food even after Israel has eased its blockade and rolled out a new aid distribution system. Experts have warned of famine.
Associated Press photos taken this week show a crowd pressing in around a kitchen run by a local charity, holding out metal pots in hope of getting a ladle or two of watery soup. Israeli airstrikes are also a constant concern as the military targets what it says are Hamas hiding among civilians.
Israel began allowing some aid to enter Gaza in May after sealing the territory off from all imports for 2 1/2 months. But United Nations agencies say they are struggling to distribute it to those in need because of Israeli military restrictions, a breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting.
Israel and the United States have meanwhile rolled out a new aid system that they say is designed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off assistance, but it has been marred by chaos.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
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Blockade-proof alternatives However, Gaza's residents have found ways to use this improvised fuel for other vital needs, including cooking. With cooking gas is completely unavailable since Israel sealed Gaza's borders on 2 March, most families have returned to using firewood for daily meals. But since it became available, many households have turned to purchasing plastic-derived diesel to power portable kerosene stoves, an increasingly relied-upon alternative since the prolonged use of firewood throughout Israel's war on Gaza has led to severe health complications for numerous households. 'We never left northern Gaza, even when the occupation forced most residents to move south," Om Said Erheem, a 48-year-old Palestinian, told MEE. Instead, she said they were displaced dozens of times within northern Gaza itself, enduring countless hardships. One of the toughest challenges was relying on firewood for cooking and heating water for bathing, she said. 'It affected everyone, men had to find and gather the wood, while women spent hours each day exposed to the heavy smoke from the firewood just to prepare meals," she added. "This constant exposure caused widespread respiratory and eye problems among us.' As the improvised fuel began to appear more frequently in the markets, Erheem decided to purchase a kerosene stove, which Gazans have managed to operate using this type of fuel. 'It has resolved a major challenge for us. It may not be the same as cooking gas, but I'm grateful we have an alternative that isn't threatened by border closures,' she continued. 'Prices might increase over time, especially if plastic becomes scarce due to rising demand, but we are confident the fuel will remain available and unaffected by the blockade.' 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'The fuel cutoff isn't something new for us. For nearly two decades, we have gone back and forth trying to find alternatives, sometimes we failed, other times we succeeded,' Erheem said. 'But in the end, we have managed to survive every attempt to cut us off from life's essentials, especially during the past 20 months. "As they say, genocide is the mother of invention.'
