As food convoys trickle into Gaza, reports from the ground show that distribution has collapsed into a struggle where the strongest and best-armed take the lion’s share. Free food meant for desperate families is being hoarded, stolen, and resold on the black market at astronomical prices.
Flour bags stamped with the logos of the UN and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) have appeared in markets for $60 a kilo, far beyond what most can afford.
Eyewitnesses at GHF distribution points describe scenes of violence and chaos. Those with strength, weapons, or connections push their way to the front, securing sacks of aid that later appear in local stalls.
The weakest—the elderly, children, and those without protection—leave empty-handed. This distorted system fuels the narrative of famine, but not because food never arrives. Rather, the crisis stems from the fact that aid is being seized, hoarded, and resold, while the most vulnerable are left to starve in plain sight.