The last line of defense against starvation for Gaza, a loose network of makeshift charity food distribution sites known as "Takiya" kitchens, are on the verge of collapse as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
The United Nations and a growing list of humanitarian agencies warn that the Gaza Strip is sliding into a hunger crisis of unprecedented scale.
After months of Israeli military blockade, basic goods have all but vanished and prices have exploded across the territory. Even the Takiya kitchens, now overcrowded and under-supplied, are running on fumes.
In Gaza City, hundreds of people crowd the gate of one such kitchen every morning. The scene has become grimly familiar: shoving matches at the door, the metallic clang of empty pots and a limited supply of food.
Ahmed al-Basyouni, a Palestinian resident with a slipped disc and spinal fracture, arrived at the site at 7 a.m., waiting for hours under the sun, against doctors' orders not to stand for long.
"We've come here many times. Every time we got hurt because there are too many people. Look, this burn is from grabbing a pot of lentil soup so my children could eat something hot. But the food is never enough," he said.
Each day the line lengthens while the kitchen's supplies shrink. When a cauldron finally comes off the fire, the surge is instant and often violent.
"I waited four days just to treat the wound I got here last time. Yesterday my shoulder was scalded again—and I still walked away with nothing," said Baraa Aliwa, another resident.
Israel's continued restriction of humanitarian convoys has choked off bulk food deliveries for the kitchens, while local food prices are out of reach for most families.
Locals told CGTN that a kilo of rice or flour now sells for 100 new shekels (about 29 U.S. dollars), while the price for a single kilo of onions has reached 400 shekels.
"We are doing everything we can to keep this kitchen running, but there are too many people. It's impossible to keep everyone fed. Everything on the market has become too expensive. We simply cannot afford them," said Azzam Alloush, a Takiya kitchen operator.
Gaza's community kitchens on brink of collapse as famine worsens
Gaza's community kitchens on brink of collapse as famine worsens
