In War-Torn Gaza, A Rs 5 Parle-G Biscuit Sells For Rs 2,400 Amid Famine and Black Market Surge
New Delhi:
In a chilling reminder of Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe, a viral post from the region has stunned Indians — a humble Parle-G biscuit packet, which costs just ₹5 in India, is reportedly being sold for over ₹2,400 in Gaza. The biscuit, often associated with affordability, childhood memories, and chai-time nostalgia, has turned into a luxury amid scarcity.
A Gaza resident shared on social media:
“After a long wait, I finally got Rafif her favourite biscuits today. Even though the price jumped from 1.5 euros to over 24 euros, I just couldn’t deny her.”
The biscuit’s eye-watering price increase — nearly 500 times its original value — underscores the harsh reality of food shortages, border blockades, and black market profiteering that have followed the October 2023 conflict and Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
A Manufactured Famine?
Gaza has faced an almost total blockade between March and May 2025. Traditional UN food aid routes were suspended, replaced by a controversial Secure Distribution Site (SDS1) model, backed by the US, Switzerland, and Israel.
According to French outlet Le Monde, SDS1 forces desperate civilians into narrow, caged queues guarded by Safe Reach Solutions, a US private firm accused of conducting intelligence work in Gaza.
Despite aid promises, actual delivery to civilians remains inconsistent. What little aid gets through is often diverted, looted, or ends up in black markets.
Parle-G On the Black Market
Dr. Khaled Alshawwa, a Gaza-based surgeon, explained to NDTV:
“These items come in as free aid, but only a few actually receive them. That’s how scarcity breeds black market pricing.”
He managed to buy a packet of Parle-G for around ₹240, significantly lower than the viral ₹2,400 price but still 48x its retail price in India. Prices vary across regions depending on control, desperation, and supply routes. Most of these packets are labelled “EXPORT PACK” — with no printed price, allowing sellers to charge whatever they want.
Shocking Gaza Prices (As of June 6, 2025):
- 1 kg Sugar – ₹4,914
- 1 litre Cooking Oil – ₹4,177
- 1 kg Potatoes – ₹1,965
- 1 kg Onions – ₹4,423
- 1 Cup of Coffee – ₹1,800
With nearly 2 million people in Gaza and borders sealed for over three months, basic needs are out of reach for most, turning relief items like biscuits into symbols of both survival and suffering.
Why It Hurts To See Parle-G Like This
First introduced in 1938, Parle-G is more than a biscuit. It’s an emotion. Born from India’s Swadeshi movement, it served as an affordable snack for the masses. Even today, through shrinkflation, the company manages to keep the price at ₹5 — with the packet now weighing ~55g instead of 100g — making it one of the cheapest packaged foods in the country.
In 2011, it became the world’s best-selling biscuit by volume (Nielsen), and by 2013, it had crossed ₹5,000 crore in annual sales — an icon of accessible nutrition.
Today, in Gaza, it has become a symbol of desperation.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
