GAZA, (PIC)
Ten months into the Israeli war on Gaza, even the most basic needs have become hard to find for the people living there.
It’s now a common sight to see children and young adults walking barefoot in Gaza’s streets, as finding a pair of shoes has become an exhausting and challenging task.
This is the situation Gaza’s residents are facing as the blockade continues: both children and adults are left without shoes.
Losses due to displacement and bombing
Frequent displacements and widespread bombings have caused people to lose their clothes, shoes, and all their possessions. They then embark on a difficult and expensive search for the basics they need to survive.
Since the blockade began, Israeli forces have blocked the entry of shoes, clothing, and many other essential supplies into Gaza. These restrictions are part of a larger strategy of collective punishment and deprivation, an extension of the genocidal tactics that go hand in hand with deadly rockets and bombs.
Jana without shoes
Alaa Al-Fleet, 26, has been trying to find shoes for her 4-year-old daughter Jana but has been unsuccessful.
She told our reporter that she searched the streets of Deir al-Balah but couldn’t find any shoes. Jana now walks barefoot because her mother’s attempts to repair her old shoes have failed.
For a child to walk barefoot in this day and age is a hidden injustice, exposing them to various health risks.
Repairing shoes
Mahmoud Abu Mustafa, 45, told the PIC our reporter that he has had to repair his children’s shoes multiple times because there are none available in the market.
He wondered, “Why does Israel block the entry of shoes? Has the Arab and Islamic world’s inability to help reached this extent?”
Salem Khalil, 48, recounted losing all his clothes and belongings when Israeli forces bombed his home in Khan Yunis. They managed to salvage a few torn clothes and have been making do with whatever they could borrow from relatives.
He noted that his five children share two pairs of oversized shoes and often have to go out barefoot. Amid the ongoing conflict, this has become common, and they frequently return with cuts and injuries from the debris scattered everywhere.
Palestinians’ resilience
Despite the horrors they endure, Palestinians refuse to be defeated. The shoe repair trade has seen a resurgence as some try to make shoes with the limited resources available.
A craftsman in the industry explained to our reporter that producing shoes is almost impossible due to the lack of raw materials, power outages, and the ongoing war and displacement.
He added that even if they managed to make shoes, they would be extremely expensive due to these challenges.
