Gaza families face food shortages as community kitchens operate irregularly and prices rise

Families throughout the Gaza Strip are facing heightened food insecurity as community kitchens—established to provide subsidised meals—operate on irregular schedules and staple prices continue to climb. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that many of the kitchens have reduced hours due to intermittent electricity supplies and shortages of fuel, limiting their capacity to serve the estimated 1.9 million residents. Simultaneously, the World Food Programme notes that the cost of basic items such as rice, lentils and cooking oil has risen by 15‑20 percent over the past three months, outpacing the modest income many households receive from limited employment and aid cash transfers.

The combined effect of constrained kitchen services and escalating market prices is forcing families to cut portion sizes, skip meals, or rely on less nutritious alternatives. Humanitarian agencies warn that prolonged disruptions could exacerbate malnutrition, particularly among children and the elderly, and call for the swift restoration of reliable power and fuel supplies to kitchen facilities, as well as the easing of import restrictions that hamper food imports. Without these measures, the risk of a broader food crisis in Gaza is likely to intensify in the coming weeks.