GAZA – Ever since the
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) withdrew from several areas in northern Gaza, Palestinians in the
Jabalia refugee camp have established a popular market despite the destruction
and difficult living conditions.
اضافة اعلان
The residents and displaced
citizens in
northern Gaza are trying to coexist, even partially, with the
challenging circumstances they face due to the Israeli war and the extensive
damage that occurred in their areas during the Israeli incursion, Al-Ghad reported.
“We wish to live freely and in
peace.” Inside one of the clothing stores in the
Jabalia refugee camp market, the shop owner, Mohammed Nasr, discusses
with an Anadolu Agency correspondent the lack of any winter clothing items. He
mentions that they only have summer and spring clothes available.
“Thank God, we have small
quantities of goods. We sell them and help people. Goods have not entered Gaza
since the beginning of the war,” said Nasr. “Goods are scarce, prices are high,
and people have no source of income. We want to live like other people around
the world. Our children wear spring and summer clothes, and newborns do not
have suitable clothing for these weather conditions.”
Nasr calls for intervention to
bring in goods, especially clothing so that families can buy what their
children need to protect them from the harsh winter cold. He points out that no
clothing trucks have entered since last October.
“Despite the ongoing aggression
and
Israeli airstrikes in various areas of northern Gaza, we remain determined
to live. This is evident from the activity within the market,” he added.
Moreover, residents in northern
Gaza are facing humanitarian, health,
and environmental crises. Diseases and epidemics are spreading due to
sewage overflow and the lack of medical clinics or centers.
Abu Sakhr Kattak, a resident of
the
Jabalia Camp, describes it as the “most expensive area in the world.” The
conditions there are extremely difficult, and the situation is deplorable.
Overcrowding is a significant issue.
Kattak, while strolling through
the market, sees the market opening as a step
in the right direction. It signifies the residents’ determination to live
despite the ongoing aggression.
He highlights the harsh conditions
faced by the people in northern Gaza. Traders are taking advantage of the
current situation, and the well-being of the population is not being adequately
considered.
Kattak, whose family is scattered
between the North and the South, hopes for a swift end to the aggression and a return to
safety.
“The bombardment is relentless,
and no place is spared. People have fled from Jabalia Camp and the northern
areas to schools and clinics,” he added. “We hope the war ends and life returns
to how it was before.”
The suffering of Um Mohammed
Al-Afrangi, another resident of Jabalia, is no different. She says, “We are
scattered, and our situation is terrible. Our children have died; our little
ones have died; everything in us has perished. Our lives have been shattered,
and hunger prevails more than satiety.”.
Um Mohammed, displaced to Abu
Hussein School, emphasizes the urgent need for flour, which is currently
scarce. Inside the shelter center, conditions are dire. Basic necessities such
as water and electricity are lacking, and diseases are spreading among the
displaced population. Food is in short supply, and Palestinians are
experiencing a true famine.
While she expresses happiness
about life returning to the market, she also mourns her inability to shop due
to the overwhelming circumstances and the steep rise in prices for basic goods.
Ibtisam Al-Ashqar, who works as a
teacher in an
UNRWA school, has been displaced six times within the northern areas of Gaza.
She describes the situation during
the invasion of Jabalia as extremely
difficult. They were forced to drink contaminated
water and stood in long lines just to obtain a gallon of salty water.
Ashqar characterizes the situation
as tragic, emphasizing the lack of
basic necessities such as water, flour, and electricity. She laments the soaring prices of goods and the erosion of purchasing power as the war
on Gaza enters its fourth month.
“People are surviving on rice, and
pasta is unavailable. Even the basic requirement of bulgur is scarce. The
situation is extremely challenging, and thousands of women cry out in despair,”
she added.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is
reaching alarming levels, with casualties mounting, hospitals shutting down,
and essential services failing. Urgent action is needed to alleviate the
suffering of the population. If we do not act promptly, the situation could
deteriorate further.
According to the UN and
Palestinian Health Ministries, over 23,000 people have been killed and over
50,000 injured, mostly children and women, since October 7, 2023. The Israeli
bombardment has caused extensive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented
humanitarian catastrophe.
The work of UNRWA has become
“mission impossible” due to the widespread impact of the bombardment on
facilities across Gaza.
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