London, December 23 (RHC)-- ActionAid, an international humanitarian organization based in the UK, reports that Gazans were facing an extreme struggle to survive, with many now surviving on less than a single loaf of bread per day.  “The acute food shortage has forced both bakeries and community kitchens to close their doors,” the group affirmed.

The organization said many families relied on community kitchens as their last hope for a single meal each day.  However, several of these kitchens have been forced to shut down, leaving people without any source of food, it added.

“This dire situation is exacerbated by the severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza, imposed by Israeli authorities, as well as the skyrocketing prices of food products.”

According to ActionAid, only four bakeries were currently operational in Gaza, managed by the World Food Program.  Yet, the demand for bread has grown so high that people are forced to begin queuing outside bakeries and flour trucks as early as 03:00 a.m. to secure their share, it noted.

“The price of a 25-kilogram bag of flour has surged to approximately 1,000 shekels ($273) in Deir al-Balah, as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in northern Gaza.”  The organization also pointed out that food supplies had been cut off for nearly 75,000 people in northern Gaza for over 70 days.

Riham Jafri, communications and advocacy officer at ActionAid, said: "As hunger continues to be used as a weapon of war in Gaza, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to get enough food to stay alive.”

"With no safe place to go, people are faced with a tragic choice: Either die from hunger or risk being killed or injured while waiting in food queues.  The world cannot continue to watch in silence as the people of Gaza wither away.  A permanent ceasefire is the only way to ensure that aid reaches over two million people in need and to prevent a widespread famine."