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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POCSO case: Bandi Sanjay asks son to appear before police, urges cooperation
Hyderabad (PTI): A day after the Telangana High Court refused to grant interim relief to Bandi Bageerath, who has been booked under a POCSO case, his father and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday said he has asked his son to appear before the police and join the probe.
In a statement, Bandi Sanjay said he had asked his son to cooperate with the police soon after the complaint was registered last week.
However, Bageerath, who has been repeatedly maintaining that he has done no wrongdoing, presented evidence in his favour to his lawyers, the union minister said.
According to Bandi Sanjay, the lawyers opined that the case would be quashed and that Bageerath would get bail, which led to the delay.
