Gaza Residents Scavenge Garbage for Cooking Fuel Amid Severe Shortage
Palestinians in central Gaza are digging through garbage dumps to find combustible materials for cooking, as the region faces a severe cooking gas shortage.
In the central Gaza Strip, the daily struggle for survival has taken a grim turn. Residents of Deir al-Balah, facing an acute shortage of cooking gas, have been forced to scavenge through local garbage dumps in search of any combustible material that can be used as an alternative fuel.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, the scene at a dump site outside the town showed men and women sifting through piles of refuse. Their goal was simple: to find scraps of plastic, cardboard, cloth, or any other burnable waste that could be used to light a fire for cooking.
The practice highlights the dire conditions in the enclave, where basic utilities and essential supplies remain critically scarce. With no reliable access to cooking gas, families are turning to whatever they can find to prepare meals.
Photographs from the site capture the desperation of the search, as residents comb through the debris under the open sky. The lack of fuel has added yet another layer of hardship to daily life in the region, where even the most basic household tasks now require extraordinary effort.
The situation in Deir al-Balah reflects a broader crisis affecting communities across Gaza, where shortages of fuel and other essentials continue to disrupt normal life.