Breaching the Wall in Gaza
January 25, 2008
Isdud Al Najjar manages Mercy Corps' programs in Gaza. Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps
Gazans' frustration at their isolation and border closures boiled over this week, with Palestinians blasting down the wall separating Gaza from Egypt and tens of thousands flooding through the breach.
Since 2005, Mercy Corps has been working to address dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza through provision of humanitarian assistance to the occupied territory's most vulnerable families. Our work has included the distribution of much-needed material aid — like emergency food, cooking fuel and kitchenware — as well as the creation of short-term employment opportunities in areas such as construction, clothes making and food production.
This evening local time, Isdud Al Najjar, who manages Mercy Corps' work in Gaza, spoke from Gaza City about the mood of the territory, how the situation has affected the agency's programs, and what's likely to happen now.
Mercy Corps: What were your feelings when you heard about the breaching of the wall?
Isdud: We were expecting something like this, because Gaza is a big jail, and people want to get out of this place. Some are students who want to go to university, some are patients who need medical attention, others are visitors from other Gulf countries who came in summer and they're stuck here. So they need to go on with their normal lives.
This is something that the Palestinian people will do if the siege continues along with all these closures. It's like an explosion, because it was so difficult to live under these circumstances.
One of our staff was actually among those who went out. Have you talked to her?
Our administrative assistant, Suzan, went from Gaza City on Wednesday noon and she said 'I will stay for two days, I will do shopping, I will have fun with my family.' She just came back tonight; I haven't talked with her yet.
Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps
They are saying that half of Gaza — 700,000 people — crossed into Egypt. Some of them just crossed for two hours and came back. They are just going to have fun, or to secure their basic needs of food. I have relatives [who] went, for some hours, just to cross and to buy some cigarettes, because you rarely find them here. We are only allowed to have the very basic humanitarian stuff — flour, vegetable oil, rice, sugar — and that's it.
Prices for these things in Egypt are five, seven times less than they are here. Or they bring containers to fill with cooking fuel. Or gas. It's something they feel, this is what they feel they needed.
What do people think about Egypt's response?
It's a positive response from the Egyptian government to let people go and have some freedom and secure some of their basic needs, because Israel had blocked even basic goods. But it was not 100 percent; are not allowed to go to Cairo, just to al-Arish, about 45 kilometers away. So the problem remains with the students, with the visitors, who are not allowed to go back to their countries. They should stamp on their passport "Entry to Egypt," but this is an unofficial crossing.
Just a few hours ago, we heard that Egypt is calling for internal Palestinian dialogue and said they are ready to host such a dialogue. Gaza's history with Egypt is very positive. It was very good that they let the people to cross after eight months of siege. And of course, it will very good for Egypt to host a dialogue between Hamas and Fatah.
How have the closures affected our programs?
Last year, because of the blockade on commercial goods, we had to discontinue implementation of small-scale construction activities, which had been the mainstay of our job creation programming.
Now the fuel shortages threaten the viability of many of our other programs. We have women producing school uniforms, doctor and nurse's uniforms, nutritional snacks for preschool children and other processed foods.
Until now we are handling the challenge in every program and managing to solve it. But within the next two days, it will be so difficult, because if you go outside Gaza now, you will hardly see cars in the street because there is no fuel at the filling stations — not even gas for cooking. So, this is the game.
Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps
Do you think this breach of the partition with Egypt has changed anything?
It's a very temporary solution for this shortage. For groceries and small businesses, it will refresh their stock a little bit. But it's only for the short term. A lot of people brought cement back with them, because in Gaza we were not allowed to bring construction materials for the last eight months. The big contractors will secure it.
Eighty percent of Gazans are unemployed, so with this they will figure out some way to alleviate the economic situation temporarily.
On the political side, we are afraid. Israel said that Hamas facilitated "the final separation" between Gaza and West Bank, and that Egypt can be responsible for securing all the humanitarian needs if it wants.
And what about the future for our programs?
Well, the Israelis agreed to give us fuel only for three days. That ends tonight. So we don't know how it will go. Because we can't secure fuel from these small gallons people are bringing back from Egypt.
We have only eight hours a day of electricity now. Maybe after a few hours, the electricity will end up with no fuel to generate the plants, and again we will live in total darkness. If this will continue for more than two days, there will be a disaster — not only for our programs, but the sewer networks will stop up and some people will not have drinking water, because our system relies on electricity to pump the water from the wells.
Andy (Dwonch), our mission director, issued a statement that says: "The longer the border closure continues, the less likely it will be that we will be able to identify new activities which not only employ workers, but derive these secondary benefits for communities we aim to serve. In short, if this keeps up, it may eventually be impossible for us to continue to deliver this urgently needed assistance."
So we are not so optimistic.
To help us provide highly nutritious food and milk for children affected by this ongoing crisis, please make a generous donation to our Gaza Emergency Fund. Just $11 enrolls a preschooler in a feeding program for a month, and $100 buys a whole year's supplies.
Over the last five years, more than 89% of resources allocated directly to programs.