Work in Gaza Continues Amid Closure

by Paul Johnson, May 6, 2009

Mercy Corps' humanitarian programs in Gaza are struggling to operate amid Israel's ongoing closure of Gaza's border, which has led to fuel rationing, electricity and water shortages, people waiting in long lines to buy bread, and rising prices for needed materials such as fabric and painting supplies.

For example, our program that employs out-of-work Gazans to sew gowns and linens for local hospitals has slowed due to a lack of electricity to run the sewing machines. Staff are also paying two to two-and-a-half times more for fabric that's of a lower quality than was available before the closure, according to Isdud Al Najjar, who manages Mercy Corps' work in Gaza.

Al-Najjar described an atmosphere of "panic" in Gaza, with bakeries rationing bread, banks running short of cash and power outages most of the day. (Electricity is needed to pump Gaza's water wells, so no electricity means water is unavailable in many residences.) International aid workers have been denied entry into Gaza for the past five weeks.

Mercy Corps currently offers members of the most vulnerable Gazan families short-term jobs in clothesmaking, food production, and education. Our presence in Gaza dates to 2005, when we distributed much-needed medical supplies, food packages, cooking fuel, and kitchenware to families affected by border closures.

We also reach Gazans through our Middle East youth exchange program, "Why Not?", which connects hundreds of Palestinian youth in Gaza and the West Bank with their U.S. peers at high schools in the American Northwest.

Mercy Corps' local office remains open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., despite only four hours of generator-powered electricity a day.

"The good news is despite all this, we have been successful in continuing most of our activities," said Al Najjar. "We are doing our best."