The crisis in Gaza is first and foremost humanitarian. The Ministry of Economy in Gaza reports: “We managed to fill more than 75 thousand 6 kg gas drums through 200 dispensers in gas stations to control the crisis and provide gas with dignity to the citizens of the Central Governorate of the Gaza Strip.”
Also in the ministry’s note we read: “We have made unremitting efforts with all the work teams of the Ministry, and in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, to guarantee the headquarters and the Supplies Investigation Department as the main body in following up the work on the field”. “In collaboration with the international organization WFP and the Bakers’ Union, we operated automatic and municipal bakeries to produce 1,500 packs of bread per day to sell to citizens at the price of 5 shekels per pack, as well as opening 7 retail bread outlets price of 6 shekels.” “The Ministry’s inspection teams, in collaboration with the Supply Investigation Department, conducted field visits of markets in the city of Deir al-Balah to monitor and follow prices, particularly of goods supplied through the Rafah crossing.”
And if Gaza under the bombs organizes itself as best it can to provide basic necessities. Israel is still dealing with the cost of the war. Calling up large numbers of reserve soldiers would cost the Israeli budget $1.3 billion in monthly salaries, as well as incur labor market costs. Israel recorded weekly losses of $1.2 billion.
And we still learn from the Israeli media that the northern front records agricultural losses exceeding 131 million dollars, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on January 18.
To these costs we add those resulting from the blockage in the Red Sea which could lead to the interruption of supplies and an increase in product prices on the European market, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency, the food ships have changed course by adopting a longer and more expensive route around the entire African continent to avoid a clash with the Houthis, but unlike ships carrying oil and gas, they risk failing to deliver the loading before the products expire. “The chaos in the Red Sea is starting to disrupt food supplies, from coffee to fruit, and threatens to halt the slowdown in food price inflation,” the agency reports.
Problems with the transport of goods affect both imports and exports of the European Union. According to estimates by the European Liaison Committee for Agricultural Industries and Products (CELCAA), the situation in the Red Sea could affect the import and export of EU agricultural products worth 70 billion euros.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
