Residents in the Gaza Strip are facing a severe shortage of cooking gas, compelling many to burn wood, plastic, and other materials for daily needs such as cooking and heating water. The situation, reported by humanitarian organizations and residents, has been ongoing since the start of the conflict in October 2023 and has led to health concerns and increased daily hardship for the population.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the availability of cooking gas in Gaza is “critically constrained,” with supplies meeting less than three percent of the required amount. UN data indicates that approximately 54.5 percent of households now use firewood for cooking, while 43 percent burn waste or plastic. Only about 1.5 percent of households are able to cook with gas.
Humanitarian organizations have warned that reliance on these alternative fuel sources poses health and environmental risks from prolonged exposure to smoke and toxic fumes.
In a statement, the General Petroleum Authority in Gaza described the “catastrophic and dangerous consequences of the continued halt in cooking gas supplies,” adding that the crisis “directly affects the lives of more than two million residents.” The authority stated that the lack of fuel threatens food and health security. It called on international parties to intervene to ensure the flow of gas into the territory.
Displaced residents have described the direct impact of the shortage on their health and daily lives. Islam Dardouna, a 34-year-old woman living in a camp in Sheikh Ajleen, said her pre-existing respiratory problems have worsened from constant exposure to wood smoke.
“I can no longer tolerate the fire at all,” she said. “We heat water on it, cook on it … everything. It completely destroyed my health.” Dardouna stated that doctors found masses in her lungs in January and prescribed an oxygen cylinder, which she said she cannot afford.
Her husband, Muath Dardouna, described the daily challenges faced by his family. “Our entire life now is a struggle, searching for wood,” he said. “Fetching water is suffering. Cooking is suffering. Our lives are covered in soot.”
Other residents reported similar experiences. Amani Aed al-Bashleqi, 26, said the smoke from open fires causes health problems for many in her camp. “The fire suffocates you. All the women in the camp suffer health problems from cooking on fire,” she stated.
The high cost or unavailability of firewood has led some families to burn other materials. Iman Junaid, 34, said her family collects and burns plastic bottles because they cannot find or afford wood. She expressed concern for her one-year-old daughter’s health, stating, “her chest always hurts because she inhales the smoke.”
The shortage has intensified challenges during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, making it difficult for families to prepare suhoor and iftar meals. The lack of reliable fuel complicates cooking and boiling water, which is a particular concern for families with infants.
