Phone Calls from Palestine

Food prices in Palestine continue to grow at an exponential rate. Meanwhile, there is, of course, very little money circulating in the Gaza Strip

The majority of jobs have been lost to the genocide and there is little commerce to speak of.

Some savvy Palestinians have taken to chuffed.org and GoFundMe to try and raise funds for food and basic medical needs.

But the prices are so high and their needs so great that this method of fundraising is proving unsustainable for many Gazans who are struggling to secure donations.

For example, a bag of flour – an absolute staple in Gaza – is selling at circa $25.50. That’s 86.40 shekels or £18.79 GBP.

There is a critical shortage of flour, which is almost becoming obsolete. Some of it is contaminated with fly larvae, other bugs and sometimes cut with gypsum – a material used in paints and decorations.

Gypsum – otherwise known as ‘drywall’ – contains calcium sulphate which, if eaten in large amounts, can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

But, given the desperation, street traders are at liberty to charge what they want.

“I found a man who wanted to sell two kilos,” says Jihad Abdullah, a father-of-five from Gaza. 

“I asked him how much he wanted per kilo and he said $75, so I said I’d buy them.

“I bought them for $73.50 per kilo and went home, very happy that my children would be eating bread.

“But when I opened the bags of flour, I found gypsum.

“I went back to the market to look for the person who sold me the flour, but I couldn’t find him.

“I went home with a heart full of pain and sadness over what had happened, because we hadn’t tasted bread in days.

“It took us a long time to gather enough money to buy flour, but this person showed us no mercy – even though they were Palestinian.

“I really wish my children had been able to eat.”

Meanwhile, the cost of a single onion at $30 is the price of a full family meal. Macaroni, which is one of the cheapest carbs available in Gaza, is $17.50.

Herbs such as garlic are like gold. One clove of garlic costs $3.00.

Most families can’t even afford one meal a day.

Eggs, which are a primary source of protein, are priced at $15.75 each – and that’s if there are any.

Most meats are beyond any family’s means right now, with a chicken costing $410.00.

Israel has banned all fishing off Gaza’s shores – raising the cost of traditional, local fish to around $60.00 a piece.

Sardines are in the region of between $29 and $75.

Other seafood, such as shrimp, is just not an option.

“For more than 700 days, we have been living under relentless war,” says Bilal Ahmed, who lives with his 37-strong extended family in Gaza.

“We are all crammed into fragile tents that don’t protect us from the cold, heat or missiles.

“Every day, we search for a bite to eat. Even bread has become a dream.

“Some food prices have skyrocketed by more than 100% and we have no money left to buy anything.

“Mothers divide one piece of bread among their children. Meanwhile. Fathers are powerless to protect their families from starvation.

“We need someone to stand with us, to help pull us through this nightmare.

“With the movement of money restricted, cash withdrawal rates currently stand at 45%, while basic necessities have become unaffordable luxuries.

“The current prices of basic commodities we rely on in Gaza include: Hummus $20; salt $11.50; Egyptian rice $26.50; tomatoes $26.50; cucumbers $21.50; white potatoes $21.50; red potatoes $20.00; eggplant $16.50; peppers $9.50; okra $16.50; lemons $25.00; infant formula $90.00; Pampers diapers $130.00.”

“We live in tents that provide neither protection from the cold nor from the bombing,” echoes Jihad.

“At a time when we’ve grown accustomed to crises, it seems have entered a new chapter of suffering in Gaza City with the wet and windy conditions.

“We’re experiencing a new era of systematic starvation and relentless injustice; a new catastrophe every day.

“Unfortunately, our enemies aren’t satisfied with the destruction and displacement they’ve inflicted on us.

“Now, mercenary hands—militias, agents, and thieves—have attacked markets, looted warehouses, and burned the daily bread of ordinary people, without mercy or conscience.

“Today, no aid has entered northern Gaza, and no doors of escape have been opened.

“It’s as if hunger has been deliberately imposed on us, not only by the blockade, but also with our own complicity.

“We say these words with our hearts aching, not only from hunger but also from this moral collapse that’s exacerbating people’s wounds.

“Nevertheless, Gaza remains greater than its hunger and stronger than anyone who tries to break it.”

*Prices correct at the time of publishing.

**Images largely courtesy of Muslim charity SKT Welfare, which delivers humanitarian aid across the world – from Palestine to Somalia; from Bangladesh to Syria.