MoSD Warns: Shortage of Cooking Gas and Firewood Deepens the Suffering of Displaced Families in Gaza
Ramallah – The Ministry of Social Development has warned of the worsening humanitarian conditions facing displaced families in the Gaza Strip, as the near-total depletion of cooking gas, firewood, matches, and lighters has turned the preparation of a single meal into a daily struggle for survival.
The Ministry explained that local markets have become almost entirely depleted of firewood and timber, forcing thousands of families to cut down the few remaining trees or recover furniture from the rubble of their destroyed homes to use as fuel for cooking, despite the serious health and environmental risks associated with burning painted wood and chemically treated materials.
The Ministry added that the crisis extends beyond the lack of fuel to include the disappearance of matches and lighters from local markets, making the simple act of lighting a fire an exhausting process that can take hours using rudimentary methods, in the absence of even the most basic necessities of life.
The Ministry stressed that women, female heads of households, and older persons are bearing the heaviest burden, as they are forced to prepare food under the scorching summer sun while inhaling smoke and toxic fumes released from burning furniture and chemically treated materials, posing a direct threat to their health.
The Ministry noted that the crisis is driven by the continued restrictions on the entry of cooking gas, with less than 20% of the Strip's actual requirements currently allowed to enter. It emphasized that the Gaza Strip requires at least 250 truckloads of cooking gas each month to meet minimum humanitarian needs.
The Ministry renewed its call on the international community and humanitarian organizations to intensify efforts to ensure the unrestricted entry of cooking gas, fuel, and other essential supplies, emphasizing that depriving civilians of the means to prepare food further deepens the humanitarian crisis and undermines the most basic conditions for a life of dignity.