Everyday Life in Gaza

ANERA Gaza Office Manager, Sabah Al Barakoni

Many people in Gaza are living in tents and relying on food donated by humanitarian organizations, such as ANERA.

There is rubble everywhere and decent shoes are a scarce commodity.

from Sabah Al Barakoni, ANERA’s Office Manager in Gaza

April 17, 2009 | Last year, before the war, there was already almost no fuel left in Gaza. But Gaza youth took it upon themselves to find a solution and they built underground pipe lines through which they pumped fuel from Egypt to Gaza. During the war most of the tunnels were bombed but the few left pump in some quantities of fuel which makes things somewhat bearable - at least students can still go to school.

In my neighborhood, the electricity cables have been bombed so our power supply is very unpredictable. People are dependent on candles, which also are difficult to find.

As for humanitarian items, there are small quantities of flour, rice, cooking oil, sugar, medicine and solar for electricity. But it is nowhere near enough to support the 1.5 million people in Gaza.

Last week – for the first time in two years - cleaning materials were allowed into Gaza. I went to buy washing materials but found nothing at the supermarket. Also, very little amounts of cooking gas are allowed in, most of which is used by bakeries, hospitals and a few restaurants. Most people cannot even afford half a cylinder of gas. Anything electrical is not being allowed in, nor is glass, or even sometimes food items such as pasta and lentils can't enter! New computers are virtually nonexistent in Gaza and you can’t find replacement parts for office supplies such as computers and fax machines.

There are also no personal hygiene items to be found. Can you believe that women’s hygiene products and diapers for babies and the elderly are not being allowed in and we have none left?! I have to ask the people crossing into Gaza from Jerusalem to bring in shampoo, toothpaste and candles.

Almost everything that you find in Gaza stores nowadays comes through the tunnels. Prices for these goods are unbelievable. One kilogram of chicken costs about $8 and a kilo of red meat is about US $18. It is sardine season in Gaza now and fishermen are not allowed to fish…

We spent the winter months without shoes. Most of the shoe stores have gone out of business and those that are still open are selling shoes of cheap quality, but at a high price. My daughter bought a pair of shoes for $37 to wear at university in Gaza (by the way, the only way she can get there is by taxi) and they lasted only two weeks. Children go to school barefoot or wrap their feet in cloth.

Since absolutely no construction items are being let in, those who have had their homes bombed crowd into tiny rooms with relatives or friends, or live in tents provided by international organizations. It is still awfully cold and this past week we witnessed strong thunderstorms that blew away or flooded many of the tents. People cannot really recycle the destroyed metal and bricks, because the bricks crumble easily. Some people have been able to put together one-room houses out of intact bricks, which serve as better shelter than the tents.

The only people who have jobs in Gaza today are those who work for international NGOs and the government. There is no income, no money and the cost of everything has tripled. People who were once able to live comfortably are now contacting ANERA, their relatives and friends for any kind of assistance. These are the lucky people. Imagine those who were already living in terrible conditions before the bombing!

 

Read impressions from ANERA President Bill Corcoran's three days in Gaza in February >>>