Moaz Zourob, 30, voiced his pain as his five-member family struggles to make ends meet after he lost his retail job in one of Gaza’s stores that were shuttered against the backdrop of deteriorating economic conditions.
Zourob says he lost his job some six months ago.
“I used to get a monthly income of about $300, but since the store was closed I haven’t been able secure any money or help for my family… I have been unable to provide the supplies that my three children require,” Zourob, who lives in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Zourob revealed that he tried to obtain aid from several relief parties but with no avail.
More so, Zourob and his family have been threatened to be evicted by the landlord for failing to pay rent.
Zourob notes that he does not receive any food or other form of aid from the United Nations Relief Agency (UNRWA) and wants to get assistance from any other organization.
According to the data released by UNRWA, the number of beneficiaries of services and assistance provided in the Gaza Strip amounts to 1.4 million people, which represents the total number of Palestinian refugees residing in the Gaza Strip.
Statistics recently issued by the General Federation of Palestinian Workers showed that around 60 percent of Gazans receive aid from various institutions that include local and international relief societies and campaigns.
Zourob’s case is one of many. Thousands of families have lost their income source due to Israeli interventions which dismantle economic institutions in Gaza and shut down borders, disrupting the inflow of materials needed for industrial and agricultural production.
Even more, the Palestinian Authority has sanctioned the Gaza-ruling Hamas group which, in turn, led to slashing the salaries of employees in the impoverished sector and weakening key sectors like health, education and electricity.