Just how bad is it in Gaza?
As Israel is accused of genocide, we look at the humanitarian crisis
BEFORE THE war, Gaza was something of a paradox. It was one of the most aid-dependent places in the world: repeated wars and an Israeli-Egyptian blockade crushed the private sector. Yet the sprawling humanitarian operation that cared for 80% of 2.2m Gazans relied on the private sector. If a charity needed flour, it rang up a trader in Gaza, who called a mill in Israel or the West Bank. Aid workers might handle the last-mile delivery to bakeries and families—but businesses took care of the rest.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A logistical nightmare”
Middle East & Africa January 13th 2024
From the January 13th 2024 edition
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