Gazans facing acute poverty ahead of Ramadan

PressTV - Gazans facing acute poverty ahead of Ramadan:

Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:51AM GMT
Ashraf Shannon, Press TV, Gaza

"As the month of Shaban in the Islamic Calendar draws to an end ringing in the Holy month of Ramadan ,Palestinians began to stock up on food items at markets in Gaza City but there are still many in Gaza who cannot afford them due to high poverty and unemployment rates.

We went to an apartment in Gaza where three married couples live in a three-bedroom apartment with their children.
The Gharib family of seven lives in one room and shares the kitchen and the bathroom with two other families.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory (OCHA) the unemployment rate which stands at nearly %40 remains one of the highest in the world, Coupled with a significant rise in food prices ,food insecurity is prevailing throughout Gaza.

Under international pressure Israel claims it partially eased the blockade on Gaza following the attack on the first freedom flotilla in 2010.
However, the so-called easing of the blockade did not result in the improvement of people's livelihoods.

According to United Nations figures the majority of Gazans are unable to afford basic food and over 80% of families in Gaza currently rely upon humanitarian aid to survive.

Despite the socioeconomic hardships Palestinians in Gaza will observe fasting during the holy month of Ramadan like all Muslims around the world.



‪Gazans facing acute poverty ahead of Ramadan‬‏:

"PressTVGlobalNews on Jul 30, 2011

As the month of Shaban in the Islamic Calendar draws to an end ringing in the Holy month of Ramadan ,Palestinians began to stock up on food items at markets in Gaza City but there are still many in Gaza who cannot afford them due to high poverty and unemployment rates.

Press TV's Ashraf Shannon reports from Gaza



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