Amid hurdles blocking enough humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza and with the UN recognizing the difficulties in distributing relief amid over six months of continuous conflict, Gazans struggle to get their daily food needs met.
Residents of Gaza are also increasingly concerned about illicit trafficking of aid.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza began on Oct. 7, residents have faced food shortages. Israel shut down commercial crossings and enforced a blockade.
Entry of aid through the Rafah border crossing is also restricted, leaving trucks waiting on the Egyptian side.
To ease the plight of Gazans, some countries are resorting to airlifting aid, while others are trying to use a maritime route from Cyprus to Gaza.
However, some Gazans keep complaining about aid mismanagement, with reports of aid turning into commodities sold at high prices in markets.
Videos shared on social media show examples of “aid items being sold in markets at inflated rates.”
One video features a person claiming to have bought a tent from aid supplies for around 3,000 shekels, roughly $800.
Another Gazan, Mahmoud Al-Halabi, also alleges aid is seized and sold on the black market.
Gaza-based activist Khalid Safi, now in Türkiye, blames the Israeli occupation for soaring prices and shortages.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Safi asserted that the aid entering Gaza is far too little, meeting just a fraction of daily needs.
Safi mentions that UNRWA and the Palestinian Red Crescent used to distribute aid based on records, but some citizens sell what they receive to buy other essentials.
According to Safi, families may trade flour for cleaning supplies, clothes, or other essentials.
He explained that sometimes citizens sell directly to each other, or to traders who buy aid items cheaply and then sell them for higher prices in markets.
Media reports from Israel and the West have mentioned “smuggling of Gaza aid and its sale on the black market.”
They noted a growing black market for relief items as more desperate people struggle to get food.
