Children in Gaza search through garbage dumps for the fuel of life
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This Ramadan in the Gaza Strip, heartbreaking scenes are unfolding as children run after garbage trucks, searching for pieces of wood, cardboard, or any flammable material to help their families light fires for cooking, amidst a severe fuel shortage.
The increasing number of children chasing after garbage trucks to gather whatever they can to start a fire underscores the urgent need for immediate solutions that guarantee the minimum requirements for a dignified life for Gaza’s residents. These solutions would allow them to experience Ramadan with its inherent values of compassion and solidarity, instead of feeling deprived and anxious. Preparations for the holy month in Gaza are no longer limited to arranging menus and hospitality items; the sole concern has become securing enough gas cylinders to prepare Suhoor and Iftar meals, given the scarcity of supplies and the worsening crisis.
The Israeli occupation authorities permit the entry of cooking gas in meager quantities, with each resident receiving only one cylinder at widely spaced intervals. This forces residents to rely on fires using firewood, cloth, and plastic, and to try to conserve gas for use during critical times, especially in cold weather. Bushra Abu Wahid says her family received a gas cylinder a few days before Ramadan, but it’s only enough for a few days for a large family. She notes the difficulty of preparing food due to the high price of firewood and the scarcity of gas. Therefore, she tries to use her children’s worn-out clothes and pieces of plastic they collect from the streets and garbage dumps to start fires and cook.
With the ongoing economic crisis and the repercussions of the war and the prolonged blockade, thousands of families in Gaza suffer from a lack of basic energy sources. With the soaring prices of firewood and fuel, some families have no choice but to resort to primitive alternatives, forcing children to bear the burden of searching for any materials that can be used to prepare Iftar or Suhoor meals. In several neighborhoods of Gaza City, children can be seen waiting for garbage trucks to pass by, then racing to collect broken wood, cardboard boxes, or scraps of damaged furniture. Some do this daily, oblivious to the potential health risks or injuries.
