In the alleys of Al-Daraj neighborhood the oldest neighborhood of Gaza City the Zakat Al-Hayat Committee started work earlier this year to establish ‘the Gaza Tekiya’ to help the poor and the needy families and alleviate their suffering.
On its first day of work the Gaza Takiya known as Al Fateh Restaurant provided more than 200 meals.
The Chairman of the Committee of Zakat of Al-Daraj Abdul Qader Abu Nur said: “The goal of establishing charity is to achieve social solidarity and alleviate the financial hardship experienced by the people of this neighborhood under the siege imposed on our people in the Gaza Strip.”
In an interview with the PIC Abu al-Nur said that the Fatih Pilgrims Campaign of the Reform Society in the Kingdom of Bahrain have made great efforts to establish the charity kitchen.
As for the target group of the charitable project the official in the Zakat Committee said that the targets are the poorest families in Al-Daraj neighborhood who are registered in the database of the Zakat Committee. He called on all needy people who do not find food in their house to come to the Takiya.
The idea of Takiya which is made of buildings for religious purposes dates back to the Ottoman era. It was used to feed the poor travelers and worshipers.
The people in charge of the Takiya are looking forward to increasing the number of beneficiaries in the coming days with the support of the benevolent people to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza who are experiencing the toughest financial crisis.
The Gazan youth Ahmad says the new Takiya which was established in his neighborhood helps him get meals for his family in light of the difficult economic conditions and weak monthly income.
He thanked the donors of the project and those running it praising the role of benevolent people in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
According to a statement by the Charity Associations Union in the Gaza Strip the poverty rate reached 80% of which 65% are suffering from abject poverty. Three quarters of the population need urgent relief assistance which is no longer available due to the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for 11 years.
The percentage of children with anemia and malnutrition is 40% while 17000 orphans suffer from the lack of sponsorship due to the closure of charity associations’ bank accounts and the prevention of transfer of financial benefits. Some 50000 people with disabilities need treatment and rehabilitation.
