In Gaza, firewood has become a both lifeline and a luxury many can barely afford скачать в хорошем качестве

In Gaza, firewood has become a both lifeline and a luxury many can barely afford

(26 Jan 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Nuseirat, Central Gaza Strip - 24 January 2026 1. Various of food cooked in large pots over wood fires in the charity kitchen 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Wael Assar, working in soup kitchen: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON PREVIOUS SHOT AND IS OVERLAID BY SHOT 3-4++ "Cooking gas is unavailable in the Gaza Strip; it's extremely scarce. Even firewood has become very expensive, reaching 6, 7, or 8 shekels per kilo. This is a huge burden on the charity kitchen, and obtaining firewood has become incredibly difficult. We now search the markets and other areas to find a few kilos of firewood to continue cooking lunch or any meal that requires a large quantity of firewood. We need between 300 and 500 kilos daily.” 3. Various of people cutting woods 4. Various of food cooked in large pots over wood fires 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdel Raouf Qadoura, displaced man from Jabaliya: ++SOUNDBITE STARTS ON PREVIOUS SHOT AND IS OVERLAID BY SHOT 6-7++ ”We collect some nylon from vendors' leftovers, or bags lying around here and there. We even collect cardboard. We go to a market or mall and wait - not me, but also children, the elderly, young boys, and adults. We are humiliated just to get a little bit of cardboard for our children so we can light a fire for something so essential.” 6. Displaced people gathering near piles of wood waiting for food 7. Various of charity kitchen’s worker filling pots of displaced people with cooked food STORYLINE: Men bend over piles of splintered wood, sawing and chopping by hand before sorting the pieces into bags. In Gaza, firewood has become a lifeline and a luxury many can barely afford. With cooking gas scarce and electricity largely absent, families across the war-ravaged enclave rely on wood to cook meals and stay warm through winter nights. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in tent camps or damaged buildings, exposed to cold, wet conditions as temperatures drop below 10 Celsius degrees (50 Fahrenheit) at night. The shortage has driven some residents to desperate measures. With little wood available in local markets, people risk their lives crossing the Yellow Line into Israeli-controlled areas to gather scraps. The cold has already taken a deadly toll. At least nine children have died from severe cold this winter in Gaza, according to the Strip’s health ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The scarcity is hitting aid operations as well. At a soup kitchen in the central Gaza town of Nuseirat, staff scramble daily to secure enough firewood to keep pots boiling for displaced families. “There is a shortage of wood in the market,” said Wael Assar, a 48-year-old man working at the kitchen. “It takes a lot for us to find a small amount of wood to keep on cooking and distributing food to people,” Assar said. The kitchen needs between 300 and 500 kilograms of wood every day to prepare meals, forcing workers to scour markets and different neighborhoods in search of fuel, he added. Even when wood is available, prices are often high. “It is around six or seven shekels per kilo,” Assar added. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...