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"In Gaza there is a lack of everything
that is important in life".
The consequences of the Israeli siege; food and medical supplies are
in short supply,
employees receive no salaries.
An interview with Maged Abu Ramadan, MD; Mayor of Gaza City by Andrea Bistrich.
This interview first appeared on November 8, 2007 in the German newspaper "junge Welt".
The following interview is the English original. Only answer two is a direct retranslation of the German version.
Edited for the Freegaza website by Anis Hamadeh, Greta Berlin and Andrea Bistrich.
What is the situation in Gaza now? Could you describe the living
conditions, especially after Israel cut supplies?
The living conditions are very miserable. There's a shortage of all
the important aspects of life. There's a great shortage of food. For
example, the price for flour and bread has tripled in the last two
months. Most of the food resources are running out; this is a great
desaster. When it comes to medicine. it is running out as well. Many
items in the markets are not available.
When it comes to construction – construction is almost totally
stopped. And, you know, the construction sector was the second largest
employer after the government. And that makes the unemployment rate
extremely high.
Many people who have come to Gaza to visit their families are unable
to return to their homes. Many of them lost their jobs and their
residences because of this siege. Many students are unable to join
their universities and attend their seminars. So, from whatever side
you look, the situation is very miserable and very poor in Gaza.
Who is to blame for this situation?
The occupation. If there were no occupation, nobody would have a
reason to fire rockets onto Israeli territories. We all should be
aware of that: the occupation finally has to cease; the Palestinians
need a state of their own, one that coexists side-by-side with Israel,
and one that can pursue economic, cultural and other relations. As a
trained physician, I can assure you, it does not suffice to give
Aspirin or Paracetamol to a patient. In order to really heal, one has
to treat the causes, not the symptoms.
Israel has reassured the international community that it will continue
its humanitarian support – foodstuffs, medicine, energy – for the
Palestinian people. Is that correct?
There are some supplies coming. But it is deficient in both quantity
and quality. It doesn't cover everything that is really needed. Many
items are not coming in at all.
And who's controlling that? Has the UN an eye on it?
The supply is totally in the hands of the Israelis. They decide. Of
course, the UN and UNWRA and Red Crescent International are doing
their best to make sure that essential supplies and items come in, but
it's with great difficulty. And in the end, it's Israel who decides
what comes in and what does not.
Today Ma'an News Agency reported that Israel has cut Gaza's fuel
supplies in half. According to Ma'an, right now Israeli authorities
are allowing 47,000 liters of gasoline in daily, down from the
previous 90,000 liters; and 190,000 liters of diesel fuel per day,
down from the normal level of 300,000 liters. How do people feel about
that?
It is affecting the whole population, because it doesn't mean that
only the traffic is stopped. It also means water wells, hospitals,
factories, all of them are affected by the shortage of fuel.
In addition to its sanctions Israel military has struck these days
against militants in Gaza. Does that mean Israel has become more rigid
and strict?
Not necessarily. Their strikes have continued for several months and
even years now. It is what we are used to. There are only a few days
when the Israeli military doesn't strike.
Do people in Gaza fear another military incursion?
The fear of another military incursion is there all the time.
Sometimes it is stronger than at other times. But it has been there
all the time for several months now. It is causing panic and decreased
morale, and in no way helps any steps of a peace process. If you
really want peace, then you have to improve the living conditions of
the citizens, not make them harder and harsher.
What can you do as Mayor of Gaza? What can Gaza Municipality do in
this situation?
Well, I can only struggle to keep the services going, regarding solid
waste management, water supply, the sewage system. Perhaps you know
that at the moment a large portion of our staff is on strike, because
they haven't gotten their salaries for eight months. We are doing our
best trying to secure these salaries. The main reason why they haven't
received their salaries yet is that, according to the law, 80 percent
of our income comes from the pockets of the citizens and from fees for
the services.
Unfortunately, for the last two years and before, the pockets of the
Gaza citizens are totally empty. So the debt mounting on the citizens
is more than 40 million US dollars, while our annual budget is only
about 15 to 17 million dollars. You can see the big problem that the
municipality is facing. On the one hand we have to continue providing
services and on the other hand, we have to continue trying to secure
the salaries of our employees. It is a really heroic action by all of
our employees and workers that they are still working without getting
a salary for the last eight months.
Do people come to you and directly ask you for help?
Hundreds every day come and ask for our help. We do our best, but, you
know, our resources are very limited. And we cannot answer to all
these people.
What do they ask for? What is the most needed at the moment?
Many of them ask for services and help ... there are a lot of houses
damaged, a lot of damaged streets, there's a shortage of water, sludge
of sewage ... things like that. Other people come and ask for work. We
can only accommodate a few numbers because we cannot afford paying
them a salary.
What do you expect from the coming Middle East summit in Annapolis?
The conference is very important, because, so far, it seems to be the
only small light at the end of a very long and very dark tunnel. I can
tell you, if this light is extinguished, then this region will erupt
in violence again.
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