BRUSSELS, April 2 (MENA) - All bakeries supported by the World Food Program (WFP) in Gaza closed due to a severe lack of fuel and flour caused by Israel's near month-long blockade of humanitarian aid, Euronews reported Wednesday.

Israeli military body known as the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said, more than 25,000 trucks entered Gaza during the ceasefire, carrying nearly 450,000 tons of aid. It said the amount represented around a third of what has entered during the war.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the assertion was "ridiculous," calling the food shortage very critical.

The organization is "at the tail end of our supplies" and a lack of flour and cooking oil are forcing the bakeries to close, he said, adding that "WFP doesn’t close its bakeries for fun."

UN agencies and aid groups said they struggled to bring in and distribute aid before the ceasefire took hold in January.

Their estimates for how much aid reached people in Gaza were consistently lower than COGAT’s, which were based on how much entered through border crossings.

Gaza is heavily reliant on international aid because the war has destroyed almost all of its food production capability. (MENA)

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