The Palestinian economist Maher al-Tabba’ has said that Ramadan of 2017 will be the hardest for the Gaza Strip in decades due to the tightening of the siege and the internal division.
Tabba’ pointed out in an interview with the PIC that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to prevent the entry of various goods especially building materials which constitute the main engine of Gaza’s economy.
According to a recent report the number of the families who have been homeless since the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza is estimated at more than 6700 families (about 35000 members) and there is a large gap between the aid provided and the needs of about 6000 displaced families.
Tabba’ affirmed that more than one million people in the Gaza Strip who represent 60% of the total population do not have a daily income but receive relief aid by the UNRWA and other local Arab and international relief agencies noting that the poverty rate in Gaza exceeded 65%.
He told the PIC reporter that the salary cuts imposed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the Gaza employees led to catastrophic repercussions on the different life aspects in the Gaza Strip pointing out that what the PA employees receive every month does not exceed 40% of the total salary in the best cases.
The Palestinian economist added that with the advent of the month of Ramadan the Gaza markets witness a state of economic stagnation especially in the commercial sector which suffers from a decline in sales due to the weakness of the purchasing power of citizens.
The Gazan employee Ali Ghazal 38 told the PIC reporter that he cannot buy anything but necessities saying that his ability to buy Ramadan items is not the same as in previous years.
The owner of one of the largest supermarkets in Gaza affirmed to the PIC reporter that the purchasing power has significantly declined compared to the past years with the advent of Ramadan.
