Ramadan in Gaza: Deprivation, high prices and the hardships of displacement

Mr. Al-Assi lives along with his household in a tent made of material and plastic sheeting subsequent to the rubble of their residence in the Al-Zarqa neighbourhood in the centre of Gaza Metropolis, the place they used to dwell “fortunately” and eat good meals, together with particular Ramadan sweets like Qatayef.

“Every part has modified now,” he instructed UN Information, describing the grim panorama left behind following two years of Israeli assaults.

“Now we have been disadvantaged of all these items. At the moment, I see items in shops, and I flip my face away from them as a result of I don’t have the cash to purchase them. I’m a person who suffers from high blood stress and diabetes, and I can’t stroll. These in the tents have to be helped.”

Walid Al-Assi’s household lives in a tent arrange beside their destroyed residence in the Al-Zarqa neighbourhood in central Gaza Metropolis..

‘We live in a tragedy’

In one other displacement tent, Amal Al-Samri and her husband try to create an environment, even when solely symbolically, for the month of Ramadan. They’ve been busy arranging the tent and getting ready for the holy month, whereas a smile by no means left Ms. Al-Samri’s drained face, and their three youngsters wore garments that seemed new in celebration of the arrival of the month.

Amal Al-Samri and her youngsters sit exterior their tent, pitched beside their destroyed residence in the identical neighbourhood.

Earlier than the struggle, she stated, “our life was lovely.”

She stated she would go to kin, go see her household and brothers, store at the marketplace for the home and create a Ramadan ambiance, full with hanging lights and decorations.

“At the moment, there’s nothing,” she stated.

“We live in a tragedy. There isn’t a electrical energy or water. We have been displaced from our houses from one place to a different, and in one place, the sea water flooded us and swept away our tents.”

High prices and shortages

Regardless of the circumstances, challenges, continued struggling, shortages of provides and the indicators of destruction that left deep scars in the sector, the ambiance of the holy month of Ramadan and its distinctive items discovered their technique to the historic Zawiya market in Gaza Metropolis.

Retailers and distributors’ stalls put up lanterns of totally different sizes and indicators promoting their items and welcoming the holy month.

Some households have been in a position to purchase lanterns for his or her youngsters regardless of the high prices.

Prices double for Ramadan lanterns

However, many go by means of the market with out shopping for something as they don’t have sufficient to purchase in gentle of the high prices and the shortage of items, defined Luay Al-Jamasi, the proprietor of a store promoting Ramadan decorations.

“Many individuals have been disadvantaged of Ramadan decorations as a result of they don’t have electrical energy,” he stated. “The worth of Ramadan decorations has risen considerably as a result of no extra of them have entered the sector in the previous interval.”

Holding one of the lanterns, he identified that “the worth of this lantern was 30 shekels, however now it has reached 60 shekels. The worth has doubled as a result of of the lack of items getting into the nation.”

Louay Al-Jamasi, proprietor of a store in Gaza Metropolis promoting Ramadan decorations.

‘We’ve been by means of some troublesome occasions’

Nevertheless, there are those that are decided to rejoice in their very own method and present solidarity with those that rejoice the month, together with Maher Tarzi, a Christian Palestinian citizen, who was strolling by means of the Zawiya market.

In a candy voice, he sang one of the songs related to the month of Ramadan, whose lyrics say: “candy and completely happy nights have arrived, nights which can be coming and nights which can be going, in which the manifestation is at all times current, and its gentle shines from the heights.”

“Folks need to be completely happy,” Mr Tarzi stated. “We’ve been by means of some robust occasions, and it’s good that we’re nonetheless alive.”

Maher Tarzi visited the market in Gaza Metropolis.

‘How did we survive all this?’

“Folks go searching and surprise, how did we survive all this?” Mr. Tarzi continued. “Then they resume their lives and come to the markets. However, issues will not be the identical now as they have been earlier than in phrases of buying energy.”

At evening, some areas of Gaza Metropolis are illuminated by out there lanterns and lamps in celebration of the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, regardless of the harsh situations that many Gaza residents are nonetheless dwelling in, most of whom are nonetheless displaced.

The UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that, in keeping with estimates, at the very least two thirds of the inhabitants (1.4 million out of 2.1 million) live in about 1,000 of the websites to which they’ve been displaced, in overcrowded locations and in tents that provide little privateness and safety.