Gaza bakeries shut down due to lack of fuel supplies

Monday May 12, 2008 04:54 by IMEMC News

The Society of Bakeries in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that all bakeries in the coastal region were forced to shut down midday as fuel supplies could not be replenished due to the Israeli siege.

In a press release, the Society said that “we as owners of fifty bakeries in Gaza, hereby announce that we must completely halt operations after running out of fuel supplies.”

The society appealed to international human rights groups to intervene and lift the Israeli blockade on the coastal region and to supply Gaza with the needed fuel “so its residents can have bread to eat.”

Misbah Al Shanty, the owner of Gaza’s biggest bakery told the French Press on Sunday that bakeries will remain unable to produce bread until the needed fuel is allowed into Gaza.

“This issue does not only affect us,” he added, “it affects and harms every resident in Gaza.”

Gazan resident Abu Ahmad, a 45-year old father of six children, said that he went to several bakeries to buy bread for his children, but came back home empty handed.

“I don’t know how long this will go on,” Abu Ahmad stated, “Will the world just wait until we and our children die of hunger?”

Additionally, the only power-plant in Gaza completely stopped its activities on Saturday due to fuel supply restrictions imposed by the Israeli military. 

gaza strip | miscellaneous | news report saed at imemc dot org