Swine Flu: One More Hardship for Gazans

 Speaking at a special seminar at Gaza’s largest medical complex, Al-Shifa hospital, the director of Hamas’s military health services, Dr. Abdelqader Al-Arabeed, warned against believing the rumors spreading throughout the coastal territory claiming widespread Swine Flu deaths in the region.

Dr. Hassan Khalaf, deputy-minister of health in Gaza

“We should not listen to rumors about deaths because of Swine Flu. These rumors are baseless and the only accurate information is available at clinics and hospitals,” said the director.

“Those who disseminate such rumors obviously have some political objectives.”

The H1N1 virus has indeed invaded the besieged Gaza Strip though. The number of suspected cases is 164, but only 64 of these have been confirmed. Thirty seven people have received the needed treatment and have gone back to their homes, whilst 10 have died so far.

 ”We discovered the disease on December 4 and we believe that someone from outside of Gaza has brought it to us,” said Dr. Hassan Khalaf, the deputy minister of health in Gaza.

“The 5,000 Gaza pilgrims have all had the necessary vaccinations prior to the pilgrim season in Saudi Arabia this year,” he said

On orders from the health ministry, Gazan hospital officials have been refusing the entry of journalists to the hospitals where some of the swine flu cases are currently receiving care.

No Signs of Real Fear

Although the disease has spread through the Gaza Strip, people here seem to be runnig a normal life, with no masks on their faces and no signs of real fear.

Shadi, a 28-year-old resident of the Al-Buraij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip who refused to give his last name, has been suffering from influenza for the past four days, yet he hasn’t thought of doing a swine flu test. 

“It’s true I have a bit of a severe flu, but I haven’t thought of doing any tests,” he told IslamOnline.net (IOL)

“Why should I?  I think this swine flu is being exaggerated. If I get worse, then I might go in for a test.”

Gaza has been under exclusive control by Hamas sine June 2007, when the Islamic Resistance Movement took over the region amidst factional fighting with the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Since then, Palestinians have had two health ministries; one for Gaza and the other for the West Bank

“I myself was supposed to have a joint TV show with the minister of health in the West Bank and I was ready to speak out frankly on the issue, yet the minister declined to attend at the last minute”.

“The siege has disabled us to welcome travelers from outside of Gaza. The only people who we welcome are those entering the Gaza-Egypt Rafah crossing terminal in southern Gaza,” explained Khalaf.

Gaza, a seminar of swine flu

He explained that they had managed to install a survey camera around two months ago through which they keep surveillance on those crossing into Gaza and to detect any suspected cases.

 Vaccines are Lacking

The Rafah crossing terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border is the only outlet to Gaza’s 1.5 million residents. There are six other crossings that Israel maintains control over. Often, international visitors enter the Gaza Strip through the Israeli checkpoint of Eritz in northern Gaza.

Khalaf made it clear that his ministry’s preparations have been adequate and that antivirals are available, while the numbers of available vaccine are lacking.

 ”The PA’s health ministry in Ramallah received 20,000 vaccinations, 6,000 were sent to Gaza,” he said.

“As for the vaccinations, we still need large numbers of them.”

“Those who are vulnerable to the disease are pregnant women (estimated at 30,000), young children, those with cancer, kidney failure patients, those with diabetes and the elderly.”

 ”We have vaccinated 5000 pilgrims already. Therefore, we still need about 80,000 to 100,000 vaccinations,” Khalaf revealed to IOL.

The health official added that H1N1 has spread slowly after they discovery of the first case.

“Doctors began to discover cases with respiratory problems who have not responded to drugs. Unfortunately, at the beginning, many websites have published many lies,” he said.

 Khalaf declared the spread of the disease was under control saying: “We have been in constant coordination with all concerned bodies, and let me assure you that the issue is under control.”

“Life is going on normally, while the preparations are simultaneously underway. We are confident that we have eligible staff who can sort the problem out”.

Khalaf confirmed that the death rate among those infected is no more than 7 percent and this is relatively low, compared with other infected countries.

 ”During the past week, our teams convened around the clock, following up on the cases closely. We have received adequate antivirals and lab materials for the necessary tests,” he said.

 The ministry official concluded by saying that there have been rumors that Israel has sent large numbers of the H1N1 vaccine to Gaza.

“This is absolutely untrue, as we have not received any vaccines for more than two months now,” he confirmed.

What we have received recently were some lab materials, in coordination with the World Health Organization.”

Since April2009, swine flu has caused the death of 8,768 people in 2007 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

For Gaza’s  1.5 million residents,  swine flu seems much less harmful than frequent   Israeli army attacks on their region, including the January2009 war that claimed the lives of more than 1400, half of them were women and children, so it is likely that the people of Gaza would bear with such a swine flu.

Palestine refugees face service cuts due to UNRWA financial crisis

Mohammad Alhatoum (center) with other workers outside the aL-Shati refugee camp.

The United Nations agency Palestine refugees (UNRWA) faces a severe deficit that could lead to cuts of essential services to more than 4.7 million Palestinian refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

According to UNRWA, the agency’s 2009 funds are already exhausted and it faces a shortfall of US $140 million for 2010.

In the Gaza Strip, UNRWA provides education, health and job programs to more than one million. Palestinians in Gaza have become increasingly dependent on UNRWA services during the almost three years of blockade of the territory by Israel and Egypt. As a result of the blockade, unemployment has soared to almost 70 percent and the vast majority of families are reliant on UN food handouts, according to local and international estimates.

“I head a family with seven children, and as you can see, we are here cleaning the beach as part of an UNRWA job program,” Muhammad al-Hatoum, 41, said as he took a break with fellow workers at the beachfront near the al-Shati refugee camp. Prior to the second intifada which began in 2000, al-Hatoum used to work as a carpenter inside Israel.

UNRWA'a sanitation office at the aL-Shati Refugee camp.

Outside UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, several university graduates lined up. Like so many others, they turned to UNRWA in the hope of finding work opportunity.

One of the graduates, Muhammad Jumaa, who earned a degree in mathematics last year, appealed to donor countries to support the UN agency: “UNRWA deserves to be supported so that it can help people earn a living through job creation programs.”

In October, UNRWA added 14,000 temporary job opportunities, more than 3,000 of which were dedicated to supporting the private sector which is struggling to survive amid general impoverishment of the population and shortages of raw materials due to the siege.

“The situation is unprecedented and unbearable absolutely and this is what we have conveyed to the meeting of donor and host countries in Amman in November of this year,” Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA’s spokesman in Gaza, said. “It is clear enough that we cannot continue providing services to more than 4.7 million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, amidst such large-scale deterioration.”

UNRWA — which marked its 60th anniversary this month — is mandated with providing education, primary health, vocational training and other essential services to Palestinian refugees “pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.” UNRWA has often had to provide emergency assistance to reconstruct homes and infrastructure following Israel’s attacks in the OPT.

Unlike the UN High Commission for Refugees, which cares for all other refugees in the world, it was not given a mandate to advocate for and ensure their return home, as required by international law and UN General Assembly resolution 194.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states and it has a core budget for 2010 and 2011 of about $1.23 billion or just more than $260 per refugee.

In light of growing need, UNRWA has often been forced to launch emergency appeals. In response to the crisis this week, 19 donor states pledged more than $90 million, but UNRWA officials still expect a large shortfall and warn about cuts to programs and services. The agency currently has no money in its reserves.

All images by Rami Almeghari.

 

Actions speak louder than words!

 

The image is back to 1948, when Israel displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from 450 Palestinian villages. Palestinians call their trauma as the Day of Nakba (Catastrophe)

 61 years now, while the entire world remains inactive towards solving the problem of Palestinian refugees.  Six decades have passed now, while the entire world’s decision-makers still unable to find a just and durable solution for the problem of at least 7 million refugees, including 4.5 millions UN-registered.

 The problem goes on, the conflict goes on as well, whilst a displaced nation still survive , only survive. No self-determination for these people,  has yet to be maintained.

 In 1948, Israel now, with the help of a number of Jewish paramilitary groups, displaced more than 450 Palestinian villages, with a population of 700,000 Palestinian men , women and children.

 All of such refugees were scattered in different parts of the world, mainly in neighboring Arab countries, Gaza Strip , West Bank and East Jerusalem. Their numbers stand  now at 4.5 registered, according to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA)

 The UNRWA, which was established by a UN decree right after the breakout of the refugee problem, has been a main service provider for the refugee population in those parts of the world. It is more than respected that a UN body is taking care of the refugees, providing them with health, food, social and sanitation  services along the past six decades.

 Yet, the UN, which today marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people,  is still unable to achieve a political settlement for the Palestinian cause , the way it has repeatedly done with several conflicts around the globe.

 Throughout the past years, the refugees problem has become much more complicated, starting with the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip and West Bank in 1956, and the subsequent Israeli occupation of these two parts in June4, 1967.

 In 1970s Israel began a feverish move of settlements construction in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem, making any solution for the refugees problem more difficult, while the United Nations Security Council, issued a resolution after another, with no realization of any change on the ground.

 Israel  , over the past six decades committed a long series of human rights violations that are much available at various worldwide human rights centers. Yet, the United Nations, has not done enough to curb Israel’s actions against the Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Most recently, Israel launched a massive attack on the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, killing about 1400 Palestinian refugees, wounding approximately 6000 others and devastating thousands of homes and civil society buildings, while the United Nations Security Council, did not even hold a debate over such a great human loss among the Palestinian refugees.

 In spite of the fact that the UN Human Rights Council, found Israel guilty of war crimes against the Palestinian refugees in Gaza in January of 2009, the UN did not move to condemn Israel or take action against such a Human Rights violator, it rather did only adopt the findings of the war crimes investigative report of Richard Goldstone, the South African judge.

 November29 is the day , in which the United Nations bids solidarity with Palestinian refugees. Speeches over speeches by some concerned UN personnel including the Palestinian permanent observer, along with some musical performances, are the way the UN shows off solidarity with Palestinian refugees on this special UN Day, every year for the past six decades.

 Speeches, musical performances and pending UN resolutions are the only means , by which the UN sympathizes with millions of scattered Palestinian refugees, while the UN have managed to  resolve other world conflicts by  means of its resolutions or peace-keeping forces.

 I do not think that starving Palestinians in Gaza because of  a three-year-long Israeli blockade and those surrounded by an Israeli Apartheid Wall in the West Bank as well as those increadsingly feeling homesick in the Diaspora, want more celebrations or festivities in solidarity with them, but they rather want a real UN-enforced change, a change that would at least restore some of their dignity , which Israel continues to undermine for six decades now.

 

 

Eid al-Adha highlights a Gaza family’s struggle to survive

Muslims around the world are about to celebrate Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), one of the most important dates in the calendar, marking the end of the annual pilgrimage season to Mecca. Traditionally, Muslims slaughter a lamb (or offer money for one to be slaughtered for a poorer family), as an act of faith, as the Prophet Abraham did. In many Muslim countries, it is also a festive time of year, marked by family visits, purchasing new clothing, presenting gifts and offering sweets and candy to guests.

Eleven-year-old Rawan at her family's home in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza.

 Daoud Suleiman Ahmad, 48, an unemployed construction worker, has been unable to find work for almost three years due to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Life for Ahmad and his family in the al-Maghazi refugee camp has been desperately difficult, something that is particularly on his mind during the Eid.

 ”Over the past three years, I have felt a great deal of bitterness inside me as I have been unable to follow the rituals of the Eid al-Adha, as well as [meet] other daily basic expenses of my family,” Ahmad said at his home, surrounded by two of his children, daughter Rawan (11) and son Ahmad (9).

 

The house built by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees, a few years ago, consists of three rooms: one for Ahmad and his wife, and the other two shared by all the children.

Daoud Suleiman Ahmad

 Before the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000, Ahmad was among thousands of laborers who used to cross into Israel. But Israel shut out workers from Gaza, and then imposed a siege that has made it all but impossible for Ahmad to earn a living. Hours before being interviewed, Ahmad said he had quarreled with one of his sons who studies nursing. “I couldn’t afford to give him 10 shekels [three dollars] for his transportation, can you imagine?”

 

These daily hardships make it difficult to fulfill the social obligations of Eid. “I have two sisters who live 20 kilometers away in southern Gaza,” Ahmad explained. “Even if I wanted to visit them for Eid, I couldn’t because I cannot afford to bring with me some lamb meat or other gifts.” Because he would not want to visit family members empty-handed, Ahmad did not visit his sisters on Eid in recent years and probably will not do so this year.

 

Ahmad’s small home has become a sort of a prison; he prefers to stay inside rather than go outside and be confronted with the financial obligations of Eid. “If I go outside,” he said, “I need to look for things for my family and my children, things that I cannot afford for the time being.” Ahmad says his family depends mainly on food assistance provided by UNRWA.

 

 In a corner of the home, Nadia al-Ustaz, Ahmad’s wife, prepared rice for the family’s lunch using a small kerosene stove due to the lack of cooking gas in Gaza over the past three weeks due to Israeli closure.

 

“What shall we do, as you can see, we can only afford food for the children,” al-Ustaz said, “and I thank God that we can provide them with it.” Reflecting on the Eid, she said, “It is a special time of the year for us. I wish my husband could give me a gift, like many other women, but I would never burden him with that, for our life is hard enough and we cannot afford such things.”

 For the children, too, holiday time is one of anticipating new toys to play with. Rawan said she wished for a Barbie doll, but knew that her father couldn’t afford it. Little Ahmad had been sorely disappointed at the last Eid that he wasn’t able to have a football to play with his friends.

 Ahmad estimates that new clothes for each of his children would cost over 200 shekels ($55), so buying new ones for Eid is out of the question. So his next destination was to take old clothes to a local tailor for repair and adjustment instead of buying new ones.

Ahmad handed a pair of his daughter Rawan’s trousers over to Muhammad al-Rifai, who runs a small tailor shop in al-Maghazi refugee camp. “More than a hundred households have brought clothes for repair to my shop, just before Eid,” al-Rifai said, “and of course mine is not the only shop in town.” According to al-Rifai, who used to own a larger clothing factory before the Israeli siege, this number is sharply up from previous years.

 All over the Gaza Strip, families like that of Daoud Suleiman Ahmad will be unable to mark Eid in the traditional way. According to local and international estimates, the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip has hit a high of more than 70 percent of the territory’s 1.5 million residents, and the vast majority of households — like Ahmad’s — receive UNRWA food aid.

 ”I saw in my dreams flowers, peace and safety.” Those are the lyrics of a song that Rawan sang. Those wishes — as well as dignity — for hundreds of thousands of refugees in Gaza, are likely to remain dreams for some time to come.

Gaza True Stories: Preparing for ‘Eid in Gaza

Muslims worldwide mark their second annual event with ‘Eid Al-Adhaa. Capable adult Muslims follow this through the religious ritual of slaughtering a goat/sheep etc., in honour of the tradition set by Prophet Ibraham thousands of years ago.

 For the past three years in the Gaza Strip, the situation has been increasingly difficult, as a result of the Israeli blockade imposed onGaza, contributing to higher poverty rates, which make people unable to afford a sheep.

 ”I have been looking for a cheap goat since the early morning. As you see this goat costs 180 Jordanian Dinars ($US280), yet I still feel that I cannot buy it, and look for another,” said ‘Abu Razzaq Abu Etawi.

 ‘Abu Etawi is a 65-year-old man, who spoke to me while looking for a goat at a local live stock market in the central Gaza Strip refugee camp of Alburaij.  He and others circulate around the sheep and scapegoats, arguing with those selling the live stock at the market. Tradesmen, whether big or small, invite customers to look at their livestock.

 ”Since the early morning, I have been showing off my live stock to customers, but I have only sold 3 sheep out of the 40 I have. We do hope that with the flow of government employees’ salaries soon, selling would improve”, said Marwan ‘Abu Medain, a live stock tradesman said.

 Another trader from the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip has been staying at the market, in the hope he would be able to sell some of his live stock over there.

“The prices for the live stock are high and unaffordable by many residents. Trade is very tight under these circumstances. Look, the fodder for the live stock is sold for high prices for the needed quantities of fodder are not that available because of the borders closure during the past three years,” said Ahmad Sa’adallah, merchant of live stock.

 

Ahmad Sa'dallah, The live stock seller.

 

 Some Meat is Even Unaffordable!

Kamel Abu Jazzar, a resident of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, has been unable to follow the Islamic ritual of slaughtering a sheep for the past few years.

 “Unfortunately, I can no longer afford buying a sheep for ‘Eid Al-Adhaa, because of the deteriorated humanitarian situation in Gaza,” said Abu Zazzar, who is responsible for a 20-member family.

 ”Can you imagine, even if I want to buy some meat for my children in the ‘Eid, I need at least 10 kilos, which cost me a lot of money, yet I cannot afford that, as the meat prices are so high. In the past few weeks the prices got lower, but they are still unaffordable”, Abu Jazzar added.

 Bad Business

 In Gaza city, butcher Atiya Alshawa, owner of the well-known Alshawa butchery and restaurant in Gaza city, complained of the people’s inability to purchase cow meat, saying that for the past three years, the situation has been difficult, as the majority of customers have turned to low priced frozen meat instead.

“I have been in business for almost 20 years now. In the past three years, only less than 30 percent of my customers were able to afford meat, while others could not buy it. For example, during the years before the current Israeli blockade, I used to sell at least 200 kilos of meat, but nowadays I can hardly sell 40 kilos a day”, said Al Alshawa.

He added that the quantities of cows allowed in Gaza from time to time do not meet the actual needs of the population.

“With the shortage of meat, one kilo of meat costs about 45 shekels (US$12). Prior to the recent flow of cows into Gaza, one kilo of meat used to cost about 70 shekels (US$15),” said Al Alshawa.

 On Thursday midday, which is the beginning of the weekend in Gaza, only few customers entered Atiya’s shop. Ehab Ahmad, an accountant, complained of the high prices for meat.

 ”Before meat prices got high in the past couple of years, we in the family used to purchase at least 6 kilos of meat per week, but now we can only afford two kilos no more”, added Ahmed, while buying some meat.

 No Room for Independency

 In the past two weeks, Israeli occupation authorities have allowed more than 4000 cows into Gaza. This was a precedent throughout a crippling Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave since June 2007. However, agricultural officials in the Hamas-ruled Gaza asserted that such quantities cannot meet the real needs of Gaza’s residents especially that the ‘Eid is coming soon.

 ”Since 2007, the Israeli occupation has denied access of live stock or cows into the region. Sources of protein in Gaza have been scarce, as the residents suffer from sharp shortage of live stock or cows for the past period”, explained Dr. Ibrahim Alqedra, Assistant-deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza.

Dr. Ibrahim Alqedra-Agriculture Ministr

 Dr, Alqedra said that the Israeli authorities used to allow some limited quantities of live stock of cows into the Gaza Strip throughout the past three years.

 ”Having been pressured by some international bodies, the Israeli occupation authorities have allowed only 4000 cows into Gaza in the past two weeks. Nevertheless, such quantities are inadequate, as we need 1500 cows and 20000 live stock for the four-days of ‘Eid alone.  Seventy per cent of the allowed quantities have been depleted already for households’ use these days,” he added.

 Asked by IOL whether the agriculture ministry has attempted to depend on producing live stock or cows locally in order to compensate the widespread loss of such goods, Alqedra made clear:

 “Actually, our capabilities have been limited because of the closure that has prevented regular or smooth entry of fodder, and other essential components for breeding live stock locally.”

Commenting on entry of live stock through underground tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border line in southern Gaza, Alqedra mentioned that even if there are some quantities that come through underground tunnels, they are limited and of poor quality.

 For more than three years now, Israel has been enforcing a blockade on Gaza, sealing off 6 major border crossings, with frequent irregular openings, allowing some goods and commodities into the coastal territory.

According to local estimates, unemployment here in Gaza has hit a high of 65 per cent of Gaza’s labor force, while poverty has hit the highest records, with an estimated poverty rate of more than 70 per cent.

“In previous years, I used to make good business during ‘Eid Al-Adhaa, but nowadays, I can hardly sell any live stock”, said Ahmad Sa’dallah, merchant of live stock at the central Gaza Strip’s market!

 

 

 

 

Another Gazan Concern: Outdated Water System

By  Rami Almeghari Journalist – Gaza Strip

 

There are a number of waste water treatment plants in Gaza, but all of them are outdated and need to be upgraded.

Along the coast of the western Gaza City beach refugee camp, three different locations are now considered hazardous areas. The hazard is not so much due to the round the clock presence of Israeli navy frigates but to the fact that large areas of water have been contaminated.

A number of signs installed by the local municipal and environmental authorities read, “You are not allowed to swim or fish in an area of 400 meters west and 500 meters east.” These signs can be seen in different locations along the coastal Gaza Strip.

As municipal authorities have been incapable of treating waste water for irrigation, or in upgrading existing waste water treatment plants or even building new treatment plants in the region, they have been forced to pump millions of cubic meters of waste water into the sea. This has greatly contributed to environmental problems.

Outdated Treatment Plants

The local authorities would like to build new plants; however, the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory that has lasted for more than two years now has prevented such vital projects.

“Unfortunately, we contribute to the pollution of our sea, mainly because we have increasingly become unable to treat or dispose of waste water in most areas of the Gaza Strip,” Monther Shoblak, the director general of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility in Gaza, told IslamOnline.net (IOL).

There are a number of waste water treatment plants in Gaza, but all of them are outdated and need to be upgraded. The local authorities would like to build new plants; however, the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory that has lasted for more than two years now has prevented such vital projects.

In January 2009, when Israel unleashed its all out war against the Gaza Strip, many water networks, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, were either completely or partially damaged. This has caused either the pollution or the cutting of water.

According to Shoblaq, unless raw building materials are allowed into the region, the current water contamination problem could get worse and more environmental problems could soon emerge.

“The lack of proper waste water disposal or treatment systems in Gaza is a direct cause for water contamination with nitrates,” he said.

“The waste water treatment plants are not functioning properly, and are only able to treat 30 percent of Gaza’s waste water,” Shoblaq explained.

According to a recent report by Amnesty International, Gaza’s water is not fit for human consumption, as nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s ground water is contaminated in different parts of the coastal enclave.

Shoblaq explained that only 70 percent of Gaza’s residents have waste water networks installed in their households, and that 30 percent depend on absorption wells which have lead to seepage of waste water and contamination of ground water.

“The waste water treatment plants are not functioning properly, and are only able to treat 30 percent of Gaza’s waste water,” Shoblak continued, making it clear how detrimental the siege being imposed on Gaza has been from all aspects.

WHO Warning

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Gaza estimated that at least half a million cubic meters of water have been exposed to contamination in the northern parts of Gaza.

The WHO has observed deterioration of the water quality in Gaza for the past few years. They confirm two types of contamination in Gaza’s ground water: biological and chemical.

“The situation is critical, it is affecting people, and this is something that needs to be solved. We are going to look into the aspects of water contamination in the shadow of the war on Gaza,” said Mahmoud Daher, the spokesperson for the WHO in Gaza.

Daher told IOL that 70 percent of the water tested last year had nitrates above the accepted standards of the WHO. “We have no accurate statistics about the immediate effect of biological contamination or [resultant] diseases,” said Daher.

“But clinics run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) receive many cases of hepatitis and other types of waterborne diseases.”

Completely Useless

“But clinics run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) receive many cases of hepatitis and other types of waterborne diseases,” said Daher.

In the Beach Refugee Camp, residents are compelled to buy filtered water, despite its relatively high price; this is not easy in view of the ongoing harsh economic conditions in the Gaza Strip. More than 65 percent of the labor force here are jobless, while the poverty rate has reached almost 70 percent, according to local estimates.

“The water is completely useless; it is mixed with waste water, so [even] animals can not drink it. We don’t even use it for washing; one’s hair falls out sometimes.”

Mahmoud Ali, a local fisherman from the Beach Camp and a father of six complained to IOL about the poor quality of water saying, “Look at it! It looks strange, sometimes we notice a yellow color in it,” he said while turning on a water tap.

IOL spoke with three other locals who are currently working within a UN funded temporary job creation program. Just a few meters away lies a large waste water pipe that pumps brownish liquid right into the beach camp’s shoreline.

“Water here is terrible; we can’t use it at all,” complained Mohareb Sbaitan, a temporary worker and father of seven.

Mohammad Al-Hatoun echoed the same concern. “We can’t use this water, and it tastes very salty and is really disgusting and cannot be used even by animals.”

Al-Hatoun, the head of a large family, complained that he has to buy 500 liters of filtered water for 15 shekels (US$3.9) every week, a high cost for this jobless man.

In June 2007, Israel placed the Gaza Strip under a tight blockade, preventing the entry of essential goods, commodities and raw materials for Gaza’s 1.5 million residents. The blockade also denied those residents freedom of movement in and out of the region.

In late 2008 and early 2009, the Israeli army carried out the largest attack in years on Gaza, claiming the lives of at least 1500 men, women and children, wounding 6000 others and rendering several thousands of homes, civil buildings, governmental facilities and even mosques either partially or completely destroyed.

---

Creating Life in the Midst of Death

In amongst the rubble of his devastated home in the Altwam neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, Basil Almaqousi, a 38-year-old freelance painter and photographer, speaks about his life  amongst the rubbleas a painter in the besieged Strip.   *-*-*-*-*   Painful Experience! “The most striking period of my life was that of the recent Israeli 22-day war on Gaza in January 2009. At home, and in this room in particular, I have lived moments of much happiness and sadness. In this room I raised two of my children and painted many of my portraits”, said Basil inside a destroyed room, decorated with a self portrait.   Basil began his painting career in northern Gaza, after his family moved from the south of Khan Younis to the Altwam neighborhood in northern Gaza in 1991.   “I got married in 1995 in this house, and faced many different situations with my wife. One day an Israeli airplane targeted a neighbor’s house that resulted in complete damage to my room. The first thing I did when the room was hit was that I rushed very quickly to the room, trying to drag out my paintings. But, unfortunately, only a few portraits could be saved”, Basil described.   In his recollection of this story from the war, he added:   “In the past, we used to face small-scale Israeli invasions, but we never expected the intensity we are faced with nowadays. During the 2009 war, we all stayed inside the big house, where I live [see the photo] I realized Israeli tanks were advancing. Many neighbours moved to other places for shelter”.  Post War Gaza: An Overview!   ( Folder) “I took my wife and daughters as well as my equipment to Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, where my in-laws live. My in-laws were frightened that the neighborhood would be a potential target for the Israelis. I had to take them to my sister in-law at Alsaraya neighborhood, but this didn’t work out as the area was shelled. Finally, we had to move back to the Sheikh Radwan’s neighborhood, and stay at my uncle’s house with over 50 people”.   Throughout the war, Basil used to risk visiting hospitals, and some destroyed areas to take photos, and document the war through his paintings.   “While flour and other food items became scarce in early January 2009, in the midst of the war, my mother who is 60 years old, jeopardized her life by returning back to our house in order to bring some bread that we had left to feed our birds,” said Basil.   Basil continued: “We got very concerned about my mother when she did not return, and began to ask around in hospitals, but no one could reassure us. My sister and my wife headed to the family house to check on my mother, and they also did not return back for a couple of days. Finally, my brother went to the house, and as he was going up the stairs, he noticed smashed windows, and suddenly he was surprised by the Israeli soldiers inside the house.”   “Eventually, they released all three women: my mother, wife and sister, handcuffed and bare-footed,” Basil exclaimed.   His Paintings!   As for his art work after the Israeli war on Gaza, Basil explained:   “I participated in four exhibitions three months after the war. One of the exhibitions was about the work of medical aid during the war. I gathered some of my damaged paintings for this exhibition”.   “At the beginning of the war, during the air strikes, I could paint some portraits. One of the portraits reflected the shelling from air to the border areas. Another was of a bunch of flowers, with emphasis on the colour blue to portray the casualties among Palestinian policemen”, which Basil showed to us.   Currently, Basil lives with his two sons and two daughters in a rented apartment a few hundred meters away from the big family house, where his old room was destroyed. Basil does all his paintings in that destroyed room. He says that painters like himself, cannot find galleries to present their work.   Basil and his fellow painters in Gaza are yet unable to deliver their work worldwide, simply because of the crippling Israeli siege on the region. The only way for them to make their work publicly known on an international level is through the Internet, which influences the originality of the work from Basil’s point of view.   Basil believes it is possible for him to send his paintings through underground tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border, as he said.   “However we are against the use of underground tunnels to publicize our works.”   Basil was invited several times to exhibitions worldwide, but he could not leave Gaza because of the many closures.   One month ago, Basil along with a few other fellow countrymen, were invited to a workshop in Paris, with the participation of Israeli painters, but he refused to participate.   “Actually, even if I could travel to Paris, I would never join in any activity, where Israeli painters participated, as I believe they (Israelis) and me, are helpless. When, Israeli tanks stop attacking my country, and Israeli and Palestinian politicians make real peace, then I will have no problem sitting side by side with an Israeli painter in any place in the world,” said Basil.

Gazans not allowed to rebuild their lives

Workers in Gaza remove rubble from last winter’s attacks. With no construction materials being allowed into the besieged territory, much of Gaza remains devasted.

 

“As a human first and foremost, I need to live normally like before. This situation is unprecedented — before the siege was enforced here, I didn’t have time to sit. But now things have changed, now we are professional talkers.”

What prevents Salim from returning to work is the lack of raw building materials in the Gaza Strip, due to Israel’s crippling Israeli blockade of the territory since June 2007. In March 2009, international donors including the US, Europe and Saudi Arabia met in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh pledging at least $4 billion to reconstruct Gaza following last winter’s 22-day Israeli invasion of the territory. However, the promised funds have yet to reach Gaza as the international community continues to boycott the governing Hamas party.

“In order for us to rebuild houses, facilities, schools, mosques and other [buildings], we need basic building materials like cement, iron, aluminum, wood, plastic, etc. At the very least, we need cement and iron to start reconstruction immediately,” said Salim.

According to local and international estimates, the Israeli assault on Gaza rendered tens of thousands of homes, schools, governmental buildings, mosques and other facilities either partially or completely destroyed. As a result, more than 51,000 residents are homeless.

“I used to live happily with my children in a regular house in the Jabaliya refugee camp, but now I live miserably in this tent, where even animals could not get by. We appeal for help that will rid us of this miserable life,” said Mahmoud Abu Alanzain, a displaced father of three children, while in his tent in the al-Rayan refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The tents were set up as temporary shelter after the fighting stopped.

 

The al-Rayan refugee camp in northern Gaza.

 

Another scene of destruction in the coastal enclave is that of the local universities. Israeli shelling targeted the Islamic University and al-Aqsa University’s agricultural school.

“We in the Islamic University of Gaza have lost a significant scientific laboratory building because of the bombing by Israeli warplanes. This laboratory used to serve not only the university’s tests, but also those of other sectors of the Gaza community such as the agricultural or water sectors. We used to perform needed tests for poisonous substances, checks that cannot be done, except in the university’s laboratory,” Dr. Kamalin Shaath, president of the Islamic University of Gaza, explained.

In recent weeks, the Hamas government undertook a widespread campaign to remove the rubble of destroyed buildings. Also, local engineers, based on the idea that need is the mother of invention, have begun using available materials like mud to rebuild some facilities.

“We have embarked on removing the ruins of knocked down buildings throughout Gaza, in an attempt to repair some of the damage, using mud. Unfortunately, our attempts have failed so far due to technical reasons. One of the main reasons is the fact that we don’t have enough land space to build vertically, besides the lack of many essential raw materials such as electrical or sanitation supplies,” said Dr. Yousef al-Mansi, minister of works and construction in Gaza.

Al-Mansi added that his ministry is willing to cooperate with any international body for the sake of reconstructing the war-torn Gaza Strip, but without preconditions designed to undermine Hamas’ governance.

“It is unnecessary that we get cash into our hands; what is needed is that the reconstruction begins, so that the people can be housed again. We have given a chance for contractors, companies, institutions and countries to come and implement the reconstruction in coordination with us. For those who want to reconstruct, there are many clear means for them to start building, but we reject any political extortion. In the last war, we lost our children, our families and our homes; all we want is to live in dignity.”

The US and European Union have boycotted Hamas since the party came to power in internationally monitored and recognized elections in 2006. They have placed demands on Hamas to recognize Israel as a “Jewish state,” renounce violence and accept previously negotiated agreements.

Visibly frustrated, contractor Azzam Salim said, “I am so eager to return back to my work, it is like someone who is left in a desert without water.”

Images by Rami Almeghari.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

 

Goldstone report met with muted enthusiasm in Gaza

Tareq Abu Daya shows off the Goldstone kuffiyeh at his shop in Gaza City.

Tareq Abu Daya, owner of a popular souvenir shop in the heart of Gaza City, has recently offered his customers a new kuffiyeh, or traditional checkered scarf, on which the name of Judge Richard Goldstone is inscribed.

“When the famous UN report of Judge Richard Goldstone was first made public, I thought of something that would be in honor of such a significant report that accuses Israel of war crimes against Gaza during the last war,” Abu Daya said.

Abu Daya’s idea is the latest of similar novelty souvenirs that his shop has sold over the past several years to Palestinians and internationals visiting the territory. Every noteworthy occasion and event is marked with a new creative souvenir — from Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 to the failed Annapolis summit.

“The Goldstone report is considered a very important event that might bring to justice Israeli war criminals who committed war crimes against the residents of the Gaza Strip during the last Israeli war on the region. My shop would offer this kuffiyeh as a sort of tribute to Mr. Richard Goldstone, who bravely revealed Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians,” Abu Dayeh explained while showing off the new merchandise.

Since the kuffiyeh was first offered by the Abu Daya store, more than 150 customers purchased it as a sign of their appreciation for Judge Goldstone and his report.

“Unfortunately, I have not sold a large number of this kuffiyeh, apparently because of the economic conditions here in Gaza due to the crippling Israeli blockade on the territory. A kuffiyeh with Goldstone is sold for 85 shekels [$22 US] and because of the bad economy here this price is inflated. The reason for this price is that such a kuffiyeh is made by some women at their homes in northern Gaza,” Abu Daya made clear.

Inside the shop, one can find many other homemade souvenirs including kuffiyehs, trinkets, plates, cups and flags. All feature different forms of inscriptions or paintings, mostly related to Palestine and the struggle for justice.

“When the current US president Barack Hussein Obama took office in the beginning of 2009, I thought of marking this event, for I believe, as many other Arabs and Palestinians, that the new US president would be able to forge a change by making peace in this part of the world. My souvenir that shows Obama on a coffee mug [reads] ‘Abu Hussain [a traditional Arab nickname] Palestine loves you,’” Abu Daya said, displaying the mug.

“However, I do hope that America would not let us feel disappointed by its veto power once the Goldstone report is submitted to the UN Security Council. Such a disappointment was felt widely here when the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported Israel’s terms for peace. Nevertheless, I will keep making new souvenirs that show our reality and reflect our Palestinian life.”

Last week, the UN General Assembly voted to approve the Goldstone report, while the US, Israel and a handful of other countries objected to the report which accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes.

The report calls on both parties to conduct serious investigations into these allegations so that those responsible are brought to justice. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would submit the report’s findings to the UN Security Council for consideration.

In Gaza, reactions to the report were varied — some considered it a step in the right direction that would curb Israel from committing more crimes against the Palestinians in the future, while others viewed it as merely ink on paper.
“The Goldstone report would [absolve] the repressed people in the international community,” stated 21-year-old Ahmad Abulnour, who was passing by Abu Daya’s store.

However, not everyone was as optimistic.

“The American veto would make implementation of justice difficult. I don’t expect any change out of such a report. For this report to exist or not to exist, is the same for me,” Ahmad Abu Karsh said while he and his wife chatted as they walked down a street near the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza City.

Twenty-eight-year-old laborer Mohammad al-Moghramy expressed some hope towards bringing Israel to justice. “Actually, it is a good chance for us to see punishment of Israel. When this report was submitted internationally, we felt somehow relieved, hoping Israel will be prevented from perpetrating more crimes against us.”

“The report can be considered politically fair to the Palestinian people, but is against the Palestinian people’s resistance against the Israeli occupation. But it won’t change our reality due to our past experiences with previous reports or even UN Security Council resolutions,” said Mahmoud, who refused to give his full name, as he was heading down the same street as the Abu Karsh couple.

Gaza’s university students have their own opinions on the Goldstone report. Eman al-Qudsi, a student of the Arabic language, expressed her disappointment regarding the international community’s actions towards the Palestinian people. “Goldstone’s report is truly international, yet I believe that this report will be foiled by an American veto.”

Khetam Abu Mandil, also a student of Arabic, believes that the report is useless. “Our cause is clear enough and I believe that the UN Security Council and the UN itself are American-made, so I don’t foresee any real change due to such a report.”

Back at Abu Daya’s shop, the jaded attitude of Gaza’s residents is reflected in the demographics of the Goldstone kuffiyeh sales.

“I have sold the Goldstone kuffiyeh to a large number of foreigners, including international aid workers or journalists in Gaza, while the locals who have bought this kuffiyeh are customers who have enough cash,” the shopkeeper said.

All images by Rami Almeghari.

A generation traumatized

Like many other children in the region, 10-year-old Hiba Hammad from the northern Gaza Strip witnessed atrocities by the Israeli army against the population of Gaza during its assault on the coastal strip last winter.

Hiba’s smiled returned only after four months of intensive psychological therapy at the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

“Thank God that Hiba returned back to normal after we almost lost hope of her recovering. Right after the war, Hiba kept silent, isolated, fearful of everything around her, especially strangers. But now she is getting much better as she scored 91 percent in the final exams of her school year. Moreover, she now smiles, socializes and even jokes, thank God,” said Hiba’s sister Ettaf, who lost her husband during the attacks.

Wearing a red dress, Hiba sat opposite to her therapist, Haniya Balousha, at the center. It was her first visit there since her treatment was completed four months ago. On that day, Hiba received gifts to celebrate the end of her treatment and her recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Hiba described her trauma confidently and with a smile. “I saw on TV children being dragged from under rubble. From the roof of the house, I saw a tank dragging another [child], I also saw my three cousins’ martyred and mutilated bodies.”

Hiba merrily responded to her sister’s request that she tell us a joke. Hiba proceeded, “Once someone asked his friend, ‘Why is the ambulance parked next to the bakery?’ The friend answered: ‘In order to give first aid to the burnt bread.’”

Even her jokes reflect an ongoing problem in Gaza where Israel continues to periodically attack the Palestinian population. Parents cannot guarantee the safety of their children in the Strip.

Therapist Haniya Balousha in her office.

Following last winter’s attacks on Gaza, Balousha explained that Hiba’s performance at school suffered while previously, “she used to get high marks in her exams.” Balousha added, “Throughout our observation and treatment of Hiba, I noticed that she feared strangers, kept isolated and withdrawn. Hiba suffered [post-traumatic] stress disorder.”

Balousha added that Hiba began to gradually respond to the treatment after three sessions, after which her self-confidence began to be restored. She described the means she used to treat Hiba: “In the beginning I used to encourage her to express herself by drawing what she had seen during the war. Then I asked her to inflate balloons and then pop them. At the beginning she appeared frightened of the balloons because they reminded her of the sound of Israeli bombardment and shelling during the war. But eventually she began to be responsive until she was totally recovered as you see [her now].”

According to Balousha, Hiba’s case is quite similar to the situation of many children in Gaza during and after Israel’s attacks. She explained that since the war came to an end in January, the center treated more than 350 children suffering from PTSD.

Fourteen-year-old Yasser, who declined to give his last name, was also in a therapy session at the center. Therapist Saed al-Sersawi explained that Yasser had witnessed the killing of his father in eastern Gaza City.

“Mr. Saed teaches me how to express myself, he helps me to draw and write poetry sometimes. With his help I am feeling better now to the extent that my relations with [my environment] have improved, thank God,” said Yasser.

According to the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), more than 60 percent of Palestinian children in Gaza suffer PTSD symptoms.

The GCMPHP’s survey also shows that hundreds of children were exposed to white phosphorous fired by the Israeli army during the 22 days of attacks on Gaza.

Abdelaziz Thabet, who works with the GCMHP, said that exposure to white phosphorous has made the majority of children and parents in Gaza feel unsafe.

“The most common traumatic events still include hearing sonic booms from the jet fighters, hearing shelling of the area, witnessing mutilation on TV, deprivation from water or electricity during detention at home, [and] shooting by bullets or rockets or bombs,” Abdelaziz explained.

Asked what kind of treatment the GCMHP offers, Abdleaziz responded, “We are doing programs like school-based intervention such as role-playing or story telling. We have also reached the most-hit regions in Gaza, such as al-Attatra, Ezbet Abed Rabo and Zaitoun. According to our own assessments there are more than 45,000 children in Gaza who need mental health treatment.”

Figures from Palestinian and international human rights organizations estimate that more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza were killed by Israeli forces during last winter’s invasion, including more than 300 children. The three-week-long war also left approximately 6,000 others wounded, 4,000 houses completely or partially destroyed as well as hundreds of institutions and mosques.

According to Abdelaziz, the mental suffering children face will not disappear since “the majority of children fear the return of Israeli attacks to the region.”

All images by Rami Almeghari.

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.