DaysofPal- Eid al-Adha is approaching in Gaza under circumstances vastly different from previous years, with the familiar crowds and festive atmosphere absent from the territory’s markets as Israel’s ongoing genocide and blockade deepen the humanitarian and economic crisis.
Across Gaza’s popular markets, shopkeepers stand beside unsold goods waiting for the few customers who still visit. For many families, buying Eid clothes has become an unaffordable burden after months of war depleted savings and forced households to prioritize food, water, and basic survival needs over holiday traditions.
Residents across the enclave are enduring catastrophic living conditions marked by widespread poverty, displacement, and the collapse of income sources, leaving most families unable to buy new clothes for their children despite the approaching holiday.
Families Struggle to Afford Basic Needs
Umm Mohammed Badr, a displaced woman from northern Gaza, said she no longer thinks about purchasing Eid clothes for her children, focusing instead on securing food and water for her family.
Speaking to Safa news agency, she explained that her children have become aware of the severe hardship facing the family and now try to hide their wishes to avoid adding to their parents’ suffering.
“The Eid no longer carries its usual joy,” she said, pointing to the destruction, displacement, and loss of homes across Gaza. She added that the money, once set aside as Eid gifts for her children, is no longer enough to buy clothes for even one child because of soaring prices.
Badr said she had hoped to benefit from one of the Eid clothing charity initiatives that previously supported struggling families, but the sharp decline in humanitarian aid and charitable projects this year has left many without assistance.
Merchants Face Near-Total Collapse in Sales
Traders in Gaza say commercial activity has nearly disappeared despite attempts to offer clothing at different price ranges and provide limited discounts to encourage sales.
Taysir Nasr, a clothing store owner, said most residents only ask about prices before leaving without making purchases due to the lack of cash and extremely weak purchasing power.
He described the current season as the worst since the start of the war, noting that markets in previous years relied heavily on charitable initiatives that distributed Eid clothing to poor families and helped sustain some commercial activity.
Nasr added that merchants this year failed to secure agreements with aid organizations or charities to carry out Eid clothing projects, further worsening the stagnation in the markets.
He also explained that rising prices are linked not only to the shortage of goods but also to the increasing costs of bringing clothing into Gaza, including fees and levies imposed on commercial trucks. Those added expenses, he said, are directly reflected in retail prices and further reduce already limited sales.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=74879
