Gaza Families Scramble as Gas Shortage Forces Wood-Fired Cooking

Gaza City Residents Struggle with Cooking Gas Shortages

In Gaza City, residents are facing difficulties in accessing cooking gas due to a shortage that began at the start of Israel’s conflict against Palestinians in October 2023. As a result, many families are forced to use alternative and hazardous methods for cooking.

Islam Dardouna, a 34-year-old mother of three, is one such resident. Her family has been displaced from their home in Jabalia since the start of the war and now lives in Sheikh Ajleen, west of Gaza City. They have had to rely on makeshift stoves made from metal cans and scraps of wood to heat water and cook meals.

Dardouna suffers from asthma and chronic chest allergies, which she believes worsened during the current conflict due to her exposure to smoke and fumes. She has been hospitalized for oxygen shortages in January and was prescribed an oxygen cylinder by doctors, but cannot afford it.

According to official sources and UN agencies, the availability of cooking gas in Gaza remains critically constrained, with limited quantities entering the territory covering less than three percent of what is required. As a result, many families are forced to rely on firewood, waste, or plastic for cooking, which poses health risks due to prolonged exposure to smoke and toxic fumes.

The crisis has intensified during Ramadan, when families must prepare both suhoor meals before their daily prayers. Humanitarian groups warn that such unsafe alternatives endanger people’s health and the environment.

In Sheikh Ajleen camp, where Dardouna’s family resides, many residents are struggling to access basic necessities, including cooking gas. The situation has become a daily struggle for families like Dardouna’s, who must search for wood and other materials to cook meals.

Source: Al Jazeera