"I have no money to buy milk for my son, I have no money to buy food for my family, I
have nothing..."
Wala’ Jaber is a 22 year old Palestinian woman from the Gaza Strip. Wala’ is married and
has a son who is nine months old. Like many families in the Gaza Strip, Wala’s husband is
unemployed. He used to work in a sewing factory but he lost his job a long time ago because
of the tight closure imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel.
Having looked for a job without any success, Wala’s husband, Ahmad, decided to collect
gravel from the “buffer zone” along the border with Israel where the settlements used to be.
Gravel used in construction is a rare commodity in the Gaza Strip; Israel has banned its
importation into the strip since it imposed a tight closure on the Strip. Ahmad sold the gravel
he collected to construction workers who used it to build and maintain homes destroyed
during the war on Gaza in 2008. “My husband brought home 30 Shekels ($9) every four day
or so and we managed” says Wala’, “I had nothing to complain about”.
On April 6th, 2010 Wala’s husband was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers while collecting
gravel and as a result lost his ability to work. Wala’ was devastated; her family’s only source
of income was suddenly lost and with it her dreams. This forced her to take tough decisions
like the one to move back to her parent’s home. “I moved to my parent’s house for two
reasons” says Wala’, “my house is made of tin and it gets unbearably hot during the summer.
I also moved so that my parents can support me and my son, I have no money to buy food for
him, I can’t bear to see him lose weight”.
“My husband visits us from time to time but I can hardly say I have a relationship with him;
we are not a family anymore. I am waiting for a miracle to happen for my life to change but it
don’t look like anything might happen soon, I have no money to buy milk for my son, I have
no money to buy food for my family, I have nothing”.
“I regret ever having had a child, I feel I brought my son to a situation he does not deserve.”
1
2
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38% of Gazans live in poverty, 54% are food insecure and 31% of the workforce is
unemployed.1

At least 22 Palestinian civilians have been killed and 146 injured in Gaza between
January 2009 and August 2010 in the arbitrary live fire zone adjacent to the border
with Israel and imposed at sea.2
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_Gaza_Fact_Sheet_July_2011.pdf
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_special_focus_2010_08_19_english.pdf