{"id":1334,"date":"2026-02-17T11:27:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T11:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:48:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:48:48","slug":"ramadan-in-gaza-deprivation-high-prices-and-the-hardships-of-displacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1334","title":{"rendered":"Ramadan in Gaza: Deprivation, High Prices and the Hardships of Displacement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>17 February 2026 | Peace and Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Ramadan begins in Gaza, families are trying to preserve traditions of joy and togetherness despite two years of war, displacement and economic collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many, the holy month now unfolds under tents pitched beside the rubble of destroyed homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Life beside the ruins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Walid Al-Assi once celebrated Ramadan with family meals and sweets such as qatayef. Today, he lives in a makeshift tent in Gaza City\u2019s Al-Zarqa neighbourhood, beside what remains of his home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He told UN News that while goods are visible in shops, he cannot afford them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cEverything has changed now\u2026 I turn my face away from goods because I do not have the money to buy them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, and unable to walk easily, he says those living in tents urgently need assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cWe are living in a tragedy\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearby, Amal Al-Samri and her family try to create a symbolic Ramadan atmosphere. She smiles for her children as they sit outside their tent, but says life before the war was entirely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cOur life was beautiful\u2026 Today, there is nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The family has faced repeated displacement, flooding from seawater, and severe shortages of electricity and clean water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <strong>United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs<\/strong> (OCHA):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Around <strong>1.4 million people<\/strong> \u2014 nearly two thirds of Gaza\u2019s population \u2014 are displaced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approximately <strong>1,000 displacement sites<\/strong> are operating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most consist of overcrowded tents with little privacy or protection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High prices and limited purchasing power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite hardship, Ramadan decorations have appeared in Gaza City\u2019s historic Zawiya market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, shop owners report severe price increases due to restricted supply flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luay Al-Jamasi, who sells Ramadan lanterns, explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A lantern that once cost 30 shekels now costs 60<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limited goods entering Gaza have driven prices sharply upward<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Many families walk through the market without buying anything, unable to afford even small decorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Holding onto hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even amid hardship, residents express determination to celebrate in their own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maher Tarzi, a member of Gaza\u2019s Christian community, visited the market singing traditional Ramadan songs in solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cPeople want to be happy\u2026 We\u2019ve been through some difficult times, and it\u2019s good that we\u2019re still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He noted that while people try to resume daily life, purchasing power has dramatically declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At night, some areas glow faintly with lantern light \u2014 small symbols of resilience in a landscape marked by destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Humanitarian Context<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains severe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Massive housing destruction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limited electricity and water access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continued displacement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Economic collapse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strained humanitarian response<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ramadan, a month traditionally centred on community, generosity and shared meals, now highlights both deprivation and resilience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>17 February 2026 | Peace and Security As Ramadan begins in Gaza, families are trying to preserve traditions of joy and togetherness despite two years of war, displacement and economic collapse. For many, the holy month now unfolds under tents pitched beside the rubble of destroyed homes. Life beside the ruins Walid Al-Assi once celebrated [&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ramadan in Gaza: Deprivation, High Prices and the Hardships of Displacement - Brussels for Human Rights and development<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brhrd.be\/?p=1334\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ramadan in Gaza: Deprivation, High Prices and the Hardships of Displacement - Brussels for Human Rights and development\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"17 February 2026 | Peace and Security As Ramadan begins in Gaza, families are trying to preserve traditions of joy and togetherness despite two years of war, displacement and economic collapse. For many, the holy month now unfolds under tents pitched beside the rubble of destroyed homes. 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