Hamas's agriculture ministry warns of a nutrition crisis due to the Israeli blockade

Thursday November 20, 2008 12:54 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

The Hamas-run agriculture ministry warned today of a nutrition setback in the coastal Strip, unless the commercial crossings are reopened.

Gaza Strip

In a statement, emailed to media outlets, the ministry said that the sharp shortage of cooking gas would lead to complete closure of livestock pens and poultries across the coastal Strip.

Also, the statement read that because of the two-week-old total closure of Gaza's crossings, needed quantities of fodder and other food items for livestock have not been allowed in , threatening nutrition for the Gaza's population.

The ministry' press release came after few owners of poultries and livestock pens have been forced recently to damage thousands of chicks in their farms due to their inability to feed them or ensure needed heating, because of reduced electricity supply as well as shortage of cooking gas and fodder.

For more than two weeks now, Israel continues to close all Gaza's border crossings, in what Israel says a response to homemade shells fire from Gaza onto nearby Israeli towns.

The Israel army carried out recently a series of attacks on Gaza, threatening an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza-based resistance groups.

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