Gaza Strip:
The Gaza Strip, barely 25 miles long and 7 miles wide, is home to over 2.2 million people. Often described as an “open-air prison,” Gaza’s population density rivals that of London or Hong Kong but without the infrastructure or resources to sustain its people. For decades, its residents have faced a uniquely devastating combination of conflict, blockade, and poverty, leaving 80% reliant on humanitarian aid for survival. This blog unpacks the systemic causes behind this dependency, paints a picture of daily life in Gaza, and highlights how even modest support can bring hope to families trapped in this cycle of despair.
1. The Blockade: 17 Years of Economic Strangulation
Since 2007, Gaza has been under a strict land, sea, and air blockade. This policy has effectively severed Gaza from the outside world, restricting the flow of people, goods, and resources.
Economic Collapse: Before the blockade, Gaza’s economy relied on agriculture, manufacturing, and trade. Today, only 3% of its industrial businesses remain operational. Exports are limited to small quantities of produce like strawberries and tomatoes, and imports of critical materials like cement, steel, and fuel are heavily restricted. Unemployment has skyrocketed to 47%, with youth unemployment at 70%. Over 60% of families live below the poverty line, surviving on less than $5.50 per day.
Fishing and Farming Under Fire: Gaza’s fishermen, once able to harvest 4,000 tons of fish annually, are now confined to a 6–15 nautical mile zone (reduced from 20 miles). Naval forces frequently fire on boats that stray near the limit, citing security risks. Similarly, farmers working near the enforced 300-meter “buffer zone” face live fire, destroying crops and livelihoods.
The blockade has transformed Gaza from a self-sufficient economy into an aid-dependent society. The UN estimates that Gaza’s GDP has shrunk by over 50% since 2005.
2. Conflict: Rebuilding Amid Rubble
Gaza has endured four major military escalations since 2008. Each conflict leaves deeper scars:
2014 War: Over 50 days of fighting destroyed 18,000 homes, 73 medical facilities, and 247 schools. Critical infrastructure, including Gaza’s only power plant, was bombed. Seven years later, less than 20% of damaged homes had been rebuilt due to restrictions on construction materials.
2021 Escalation: 11 days of airstrikes displaced 113,000 people and damaged 17 hospitals and 50 schools. The UN reported $380 million in economic losses—equivalent to 20% of Gaza’s GDP.
Ongoing Violence: Even during periods of “calm,” sporadic airstrikes and shelling terrorize civilians. In 2023, 90% of Gaza’s children reported witnessing explosions or gunfire.
Infrastructure in Ruins:
Electricity: Due to fuel shortages, Gaza’s sole power plant operates at 60% capacity. Households receive 4–6 hours of electricity daily, forcing families to rely on expensive, polluting generators.
Water Crisis: 97% of Gaza’s groundwater is contaminated by seawater infiltration and untreated sewage. Over 108,000 cubic meters of raw sewage flow into the Mediterranean daily due to damaged treatment plants. Only 10% of households have safe drinking water, and families spend up to 30% of their income on trucked-in water, which is often still contaminated.
Healthcare Collapse: Hospitals lack 40% of essential medications. Power outages force surgeons to operate using phone flashlights. Patients requiring cancer treatment or organ transplants must apply for permits to leave Gaza—permits that Israel denies 35% of the time.
3. Daily Life: A Portrait of Resilience and Desperation
To understand Gaza’s aid dependency, one must examine the daily realities of its people:
A. Food Insecurity
Over 68% of Gazans are food-insecure, relying on monthly food parcels (flour, rice, oil). Families skip meals to stretch rations:
Child Malnutrition: 1 in 10 children under five suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition.
Fishermen’s Plight: Fishermen used to catch enough to feed their families and sell at the market. Now, they consider themselves to be lucky if they catch a few kilos a week. Most families have to eat lentils most days.
B. Education Under Siege
Gaza’s schools, many operated by UNRWA, run in triple shifts to accommodate 625,000 students. Over 70% of schools lack essential maintenance, and 60% have leaking roofs. Classrooms average 40–50 students, making learning nearly impossible.
C. Mental Health Epidemic
A 2022 study by Save the Children found:
- 80% of children report emotional distress.
- 54% exhibit PTSD symptoms.
- 75% of parents say their children suffer from depression.
D. Unemployment and Lost Dreams
Graduates like engineering students face bleak prospects. They spend five years studying, but there are no jobs. They have to drive a tuk-tuk now to feed their families. The blockade has erased entire professions, pushing skilled workers into informal jobs like street vending or smuggling.
4. Humanitarian Aid: A Fragile Lifeline
Agencies like UNRWA, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP) provide critical support:
- Food Assistance: UNRWA feeds 1.2 million people monthly.
- Healthcare: UNICEF vaccinates 95% of Gaza’s children and provides psychosocial support to 70,000 annually.
- Water Projects: NGOs like Oxfam build solar-powered desalination units, but only 5% of the demand is met.
Challenges:
Funding Cuts: UNRWA’s budget has been slashed by $483 million since 2018, forcing cuts to mental health programs and cash assistance.
Access Restrictions: Delays or blocks entry for items like water filters and medical equipment, citing “security risks.”
Donor Fatigue: Global attention shifts to newer crises, leaving Gaza’s aid programs underfunded by 60% in 2023.
5. Small Acts, Big Impacts: How Donations Save Lives
While systemic change requires political solutions, individual contributions sustain hope. Here is how your donations can make a difference through a trusted and transparent platform like Equalall:
- $25: Provides a child with a month’s worth of nutritional supplements.
- $75: Supplies a family with emergency hygiene kits (soap, sanitary pads, disinfectants).
- $300: Installs a rooftop solar panel to power a household’s lights and fridge.
Success Stories:
- Clean Water: A 2022 UNICEF project rehabilitated 15 wells, providing 100,000 people with safer water.
- Education: Donor-funded repairs to 12 UNRWA schools allowed 8,000 students to return to single-shift classes.
- Healthcare: A 2023 WHO campaign vaccinated 250,000 children against polio and measles.
Conclusion: Gaza’s Resilience and the Power of Solidarity
Gaza’s people endure conditions no human should face: children growing up in darkness, parents rationing water, students studying in rubble. Yet, their resilience shines through—a father working night shifts to buy insulin for his daughter, teachers holding classes in tents, and volunteers rebuilding homes with mud bricks when cement is banned.
Humanitarian aid to Gaza is not a solution but a lifeline. By donating to trusted organizations, outsiders can ease suffering and send a message to Gaza’s families: “You are not forgotten.” In a world where helplessness often paralyzes action, small gestures of kindness become radical acts of hope.