Eight days of airstrikes and bombings damaged administrative buildings, some homes and schools, water tanks and infrastructure. But the constant noise and strikes also provoked widespread fear and depression, most noticeably among Gaza’s children, who showed signs of behavior disorder.
Two-year-old Ashraf Shadi Kali died early this week, and his parents and one-year-old brother were injured, in a fire sparked by candles the family was forced to use because of Gaza’s continuing electricity shortages. Their home was destroyed.
The family is just one of many who are forced to rely on kerosene, candles or, if they can afford it, a generator to provide a bit of light and warmth as the dark, cold days of winter approach.
The United Nations has released a report predicting that Gaza will be "unlivable" by 2020, with nearly 2.1 million Gazans expected to be displaced by deteriorating water, power, health, education and sanitation services. As I sit here without electricity to cook dinner for my family, I have news for the UN: Gaza is already unlivable. I feel lucky when the power is out for only six hours now, compared to 18 hours a few months back, during an unbearably hot summer when fuel supplies were not getting into Gaza.
Nearly 20 years ago ANERA partnered with a farmers' cooperative in Hebron to help salvage grapevines. Today, the rootstock nursery is flourishing, a showcase of sustainable development.
