50 times more than before the war

The price of vegetables, oil and flour has risen to sky-high levels in besieged Gaza, a report shows.

In northern Gaza, a sack of flour can cost the equivalent of thousands of kroner – money almost no one has.

The price increases are particularly striking in northern Gaza, where aid supplies barely reach anymore. But even in southern Gaza, where around 1.5 million Palestinians are estimated to have sought refuge from Israel’s attacks, what little there is is being sold at extortionate prices.

In Rafah in southern Gaza, onions now cost 50 times more than before the war, reports The Guardian, citing a report by Christian Aid. Spinach, jute leaves and chard are sold for prices around 25 times higher than before. Even oil and flour have become significantly more expensive as the war continues and emergency aid is not forthcoming.

Famine warnings

“As a result, children in Gaza are dying of malnutrition and disease while the world turns a blind eye to it,” says the organization’s Middle East director, William Bell, according to The Guardian.

In recent weeks, international organizations have warned increasingly insistently of a very imminent famine in Gaza, especially in the northern parts of the strip.

A 25-kilogram sack of flour can cost the equivalent of around SEK 200 in Rafah – and in northern Gaza as much as SEK 4,000.

The help fixed

Families, many of whom have lost their incomes due to the war, can therefore only afford extremely small quantities and portions.

An aid worker at the British charity Restless Beings tells The Guardian that “absolutely nobody can afford the situation here”.

On Saturday, Al Jazeera reports that around 7,000 trucks are waiting for permission to enter Gaza on the Egyptian side of the border. Israel’s rigorous checks on the aid convoys are said to be the reason for the delay.