Gaza faces severe food shortages as UN bakeries shut down
Deir Al-Balah: The Gaza Strip is facing an escalating food crisis as the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) shuts down all its bakeries due to dwindling supplies, following nearly a month of import restrictions imposed by Israel. The closure of these bakeries comes as markets remain largely empty, and aid agencies warn that food reserves built up during the recent ceasefire are rapidly running out. With the war having destroyed much of Gaza’s food production infrastructure, the territory remains almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.
A WFP memo circulated to aid groups on Monday stated that its remaining bakeries can no longer operate due to a severe shortage of flour and other essentials. The UN agency said it would now focus on distributing its remaining stocks through emergency food aid and hot meal programs. Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, confirmed that the WFP is shutting down its last 19 bakeries, after already closing six last month, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without a crucial source of daily bread.
For families in Gaza, the situation is becoming increasingly desperate. Mohammed al-Kurd, a father of 12, described how his children go to bed hungry every night. "We tell them to be patient and that we will bring flour in the morning," he said. "We lie to them and to ourselves."
Israel’s military body overseeing Palestinian affairs, COGAT, claims that over 25,000 trucks carrying 450,000 tons of aid entered Gaza during the recent truce, suggesting that enough food remains for an extended period. However, UN agencies and aid organizations dispute these figures, pointing out that the aid distribution network has been severely disrupted, making it difficult for supplies to reach those in desperate need.
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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
