Gaza Food Warehouse Looted Amid Aid Shortage,⁤ Fueling Hunger Crisis

Updated May 29,⁤ 2025
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A ⁣World Food Program (WFP) warehouse in central Gaza ⁤was raided by what the agency described as ‍”hordes of hungry people.” The incident at⁣ the ⁣Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah resulted ⁢in two reported deaths and several injuries,according to the⁤ WFP,which is still working‍ to confirm the details.

Footage from AFP showed crowds⁣ breaking into the warehouse and taking bags of‍ flour and cartons of food as gunshots were heard. The source of the gunfire‍ remains unclear. The World Food Programme ⁢had pre-positioned food supplies at the ⁣warehouse for distribution.

The WFP⁢ stated⁢ that humanitarian needs in Gaza have “spiraled out ⁢of control” following an almost three-month blockade by Israel, which ⁣was eased last week.The agency has ⁢consistently warned of deteriorating conditions and the risks of limiting humanitarian aid to those in desperate need. The⁢ incident underscores the critical need for increased food assistance to prevent starvation in Gaza, where the food shortage is worsening.

Despite⁣ Israeli authorities reporting that ⁣121 trucks of humanitarian aid, including flour and food, ⁣were transferred into Gaza, UN⁤ Middle East envoy ‍Sigrid Kaag told the UN Security Council that this⁤ was insufficient, likening it ⁢to “a lifeboat‍ after the ship has⁤ sunk.”

Adding to the complexity, the US and Israel have backed the gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a⁤ private aid distribution system using US security contractors that bypasses the UN. While the US and Israeli‍ governments claim the GHF prevents aid theft ⁤by Hamas, the UN has deemed it unworkable‍ and unethical. The‍ UN Human ⁤Rights⁤ Office reported that 47 people were injured at ⁣one ⁢of the GHF’s distribution sites in ‍Rafah after it was overrun.

Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN’s humanitarian office for the occupied Palestinian territories, stated there is no evidence of Hamas⁢ diverting aid coordinated through credible‍ humanitarian channels. He alleged ⁣that criminal gangs,allowed to ⁤operate near the Kerem⁣ Shalom crossing point by‍ the ⁣Israeli army,were responsible for the real theft of relief goods.

“Gaza needs an immediate scale-up of food assistance. This is the only ‍way to ‍reassure people that they will not starve,” the ‍WFP said in a statement.

What’s next

The UN has argued that a surge of aid, similar⁤ to that‍ seen during the recent ceasefire, would reduce looting and allow it to fully utilize its⁢ distribution network across Gaza. The⁢ focus remains ⁤on addressing the immediate food shortage and ensuring aid reaches those who need it most.