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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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
