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Gaza weary of Ukrainian crisis as wheat supplies dwindle

Traders in Gaza criticized the recent government decision forcing them not to raise prices of goods despite a looming crisis of shortages, as the besieged enclave mainly imports its needs from Ukraine, where Russia has launched a war.

A stork stands next to a sunflower in a wheat field.
A stork stands next to a sunflower in a wheat field near the village of Mala Dyvitsya, some 160 kilometers from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on July 27, 2015. — SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Before the first Russian military wheel started turning toward Ukraine, the world feared the repercussions of such a war, especially considering that the two conflicting countries are among the top food and industrial exporters in the world.

As soon as Russia issued a threat against Ukraine, an array of countries started to examine the repercussions that such a war would have on them, especially economically.

The Gaza Strip, a small enclave already ailing from the Israeli blockade and Palestinian division, is among those affected by this war raging at a distance of about 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). Many of the products in the Gaza markets are either imported from Ukraine or Russia, especially flour.

Osama Nofal, director-general at the Ministry of National Economy in Gaza, said in a press statement Feb. 27 that there is no need to worry about basic commodities imported from Russia and Ukraine, as there is enough wheat for three months. 

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