The situation in Gaza remains critical six months after the war that devastated the region.
CNS spoke with CNEWA’s regional director for Palestine and Israel, Sami El-Yousef, after his most recent visit to Gaza. He noted that unemployment has hit 70 percent, and much of the region remains in ruins:
“One of the most difficult parts of our trip was seeing how much people have lost hope,” he told Catholic News Service on 2 March. “They really could not see any bright spot at the end of the tunnel; the tunnel does not even exist for them.”
Mr. El-Yousef said Gazans told him they feel the situation today is even worse than it was during the war, because then, at least, they had a bit of hope the war would end and things would get better with aid and reconstruction.
But promised financial aid from some Arab countries has failed to materialize largely due to an internal conflict between the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah party and Hamas, which controls Gaza. Tunnels along the Egyptian border, which were used to smuggle cheap goods and fuel to Gazans, have been destroyed by the Egyptian government, which has labeled Hamas a terrorist organization.
Now all goods reaching Gaza come from Israel, with high Israeli prices, making many basics unaffordable for the local population. People are even resorting to buying basic food necessities on credit, but with no prospects of being able to pay off their debt any time soon, said Mr. El-Yousef.
“The troubles are so widespread, the general atmosphere is one of anger,” he said. “Anger at everyone: at the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for a lack of reconciliation, at Israel for creating the widespread destruction, at the international community for not doing more to support [Gaza] and at other Arab countries for not following through with their financial commitments.”
The level of tension is very high, he said, with the outlook for the future bleak.
Read more at the CNS link. And to find out how you can help the people of Gaza, visit our giving page — and please keep all those who are suffering in your prayers.