Tragedy in Gaza: Humanitarian aid sold at 'exorbitant' prices, people desperate in hunger siege
Since Israel’s military campaign has caused a collapse of security in the Gaza Strip, it has become nearly impossible to get food aid to the starving Palestinians. Much of the limited aid that does get into the enclave is being hoarded by gangs and traders, who then sell it on the black market at exorbitant prices, leaving people destitute.
The battle for survival in chaos
In the makeshift markets of Deir al-Balah, Gaza, a heartbreaking sight has become a familiar one: bags of flour bearing the logo of the United Nations (UN), or packages marked with the logo of the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) – which are supposed to be free aid – are openly sold. Prices fluctuate daily, but are always unimaginable.
In recent days, according to the AP news agency, a kilogram of wheat flour can cost up to $60, a kilogram of lentils up to $35 - these are numbers far beyond the means of most people in a territory that experts warn is on the brink of famine, where people mainly live off savings after 21 months of devastating Israel-Hamas war.
While Israel’s recent decision, under international pressure, to facilitate more aid shipments has helped to bring prices down a bit, the actual impact on the ground is still very unclear. No one can say exactly how much aid is being diverted to the black market, but both the UN and GHF admit they cannot track and ensure that goods reach the right people!
In the melee around aid distribution points in recent weeks, the cruel law of survival of the fittest has always been present. The strongest and quickest have the chance to snatch the food.
Whenever I go to GHF distribution points, there are always organized gangs of young men standing at the front. They have turned the aid into a huge business.
Mohammed Abu Taha, a man living with his wife and children in a makeshift tent near the city of Rafah
Abu Taha’s family’s plight is a microcosm of that of hundreds of thousands of Gazans. They face a brutal choice: risk being trampled or robbed in the chaotic crowds, or pay exorbitant prices to buy back the very goods that were sent to save them.
Ms. Heba Jouda, who has visited the distribution points many times, said that armed men often lurk around to snatch the aid from the hands of those who have just received it. Even there, traders are waiting to bargain to buy it back.
To get food from the US organization (GHF), you have to be strong and fast.
Mrs. Heba Jouda
Videos shot by Palestinians at GHF drop-off points and shared widely have shown horrific scenes: crowds of men pushing and shoving in narrow, barbed-wire corridors, fighting over boxes left on the ground. Although GHF says it has set up separate lanes for women and children and is increasing its direct community deliveries, the chaos has not significantly improved.
The price of foodcsometimes…mhuman
The chaos has not only taken away food, but also lives. The UN human rights office, along with witnesses and local health officials in Gaza, estimate that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire while searching for food since May, mostly near GHF sites.
The Israeli military claims it only fired warning shots when civilians approached its forces. Meanwhile, the GHF insists its security contractors only used pepper spray or fired shots into the air in some cases to prevent stampedes. However, the rising death toll is an undeniable fact.
A man in his 30s, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said he had visited GHF sites about 40 times and had gotten food almost every time. But he did not keep it all. He sold most of it to traders or others to buy other necessities for his family. His story exposed a tragic cycle: the poor were selling off aid to survive, and that in turn fueled the black market, exacerbating the crisis.
Even UN shipments have not been spared deadly violence. Convoys are almost always attacked by armed gangs or surrounded by hungry crowds in buffer zones controlled by the Israeli army. The UN refuses Israeli protection, insisting it relies on community support to maintain its neutrality. But in a context of a breakdown in law and order, this support may not be enough.
"WFP will only be able to safely deliver aid to the most vulnerable once internal security is restored - which will probably only happen under a ceasefire. In the meantime, given the urgent needs of families, WFP will accept food from our trucks, provided there is no violence," Abeer Etifa, a spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said last week.
Root cause: Order collapses
The situation in Gaza has changed dramatically since March, the media noted. For much of the war, UN agencies were able to deliver aid relatively safely, despite Israeli restrictions and sporadic attacks and looting. Hamas-led police protected convoys and hunted down looters and smugglers. During the previous temporary ceasefire, Israel allowed up to 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day. There were no major disruptions to distribution and food prices were much lower.
The UN says it has mechanisms in place to prevent any organised diversion of aid. However, Israel has accused Hamas of siphoning off the aid, although it has not presented evidence of widespread theft.
Things changed dramatically in March, when Israel ended the ceasefire and halted all imports, including food, seizing large parts of Gaza, saying it was a tactic to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, assault.
As Hamas-run police forces disappeared from areas under Israeli control, a power vacuum emerged. Local tribes and gangs – some of which Israel says it supports – quickly filled the void, establishing their own rule, according to locals.
Israel began allowing small amounts of aid into Gaza in May. The GHF was established that month with the stated goal of preventing Hamas from diverting aid. Since then, Israel has allowed an average of about 70 trucks a day, a small number compared with the 500-600 trucks the UN says are needed. On July 26, the Israeli military said it would allow more trucks in – 180 had already entered on July 27 – and international airdrops of aid have resumed, though aid groups say they are largely ineffective and dangerous.
The Israeli military did not respond to emails seeking comment on the resale of aid. Israel denies allowing looters to operate in areas it controls and has accused Hamas of prolonging the war by refusing to surrender.
There is no starvation policy in Gaza, and there is no famine in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed on July 27
Denials and a brutal reality
Netanyahu's claims are at odds with what international organizations and witnesses on the ground have reported. The UN says up to 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Aid groups and media outlets say their own staff are starving. Gaza's Health Ministry says dozens of Palestinians have died of hunger-related causes in the past three weeks.
The photo of two-year-old Yazan Abu Ful, his emaciated body and sunken eyes from malnutrition in the Shati refugee camp, has become a poignant symbol of the crisis. Data and stories like Yazan’s have more or less disproved Israel’s claims.
In response to questions from the AP, GHF acknowledged that Hamas members were likely among the aid recipients, but said its system prevented systematic diversion of aid. "The real concern we are addressing is not whether individuals receive food, but whether Hamas can systematically control the flow of aid. At GHF sites, they cannot do that," the organization said.
Hamas has denied stealing aid. It is unclear whether it is involved in the trafficking of aid, but its fighters would face significant risks operating in concert in Israeli military areas through which UN trucks pass and where GHF sites are located.
Ceasefire is gthe only solution
Amid the spiral of violence and hunger, UN officials have repeatedly called on Israel to lift the blockade completely and allow aid into Gaza. This would reduce the incentive for looting by ensuring there is enough food for everyone and driving down prices.
However, the most fundamental and lasting solution that all humanitarian organizations are aiming for is an immediate ceasefire. A ceasefire would not only allow for a large-scale increase in aid but also pave the way for the release of Israeli hostages, but negotiations have stalled.
While the negotiations remain deadlocked, the civilians in Gaza continue to be the main victims. They are either killed by bombs or slowly dying of hunger. Bags of flour, cartons of milk, relief goods that were once symbols of hope and kindness have become part of a heartbreaking tragedy where survival is determined by power and money, in the midst of one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century.
