United Nations Radio

The UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees-UNRWA has suspended food distribution in Gaza.

UNRWA says due to the ongoing crisis with irregular border access and the lack of wheat flour in Gaza, it has exhausted all stocks of flour in its warehouses.  Wheat supplies scheduled to arrive in Gaza last week were unable to enter due to rocket fire, hence the mills have run out of flour.
Food distribution for both emergency and regular programs was suspended from Thursday until further notice.
UNRWA says all crossings for goods into the Strip are closed and no humanitarian supplies, fuel and other needed commodities are being allowed to enter.
A total of 750,000 refugees out of a population of 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip depend on food assistance from UNRWA.
On average, the Agency distributes food to about 20,000 refugees per day.
UNRWA says once the supply of flour resumes, it will work as quickly as it can to clear the backlog and get back on schedule.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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