Approximately 4,000 workers in Gaza lost their jobs since the outbreak of the coronavirus and at least 50 factories closed their doors, head of the General Federation of Trade Unions, Sami Al-Amassi, revealed yesterday.
In a press release sent to reporters, Al-Amassi said there are a total of 300,000-350,000 workers in Gaza, including 250,000 who are unemployed as a result of the 14-year Israeli siege on the Strip.
Is #Israel Uniquely Evil? https://t.co/R8G1oYiquC via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/HRiptari6T
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) July 18, 2020
Since the outbreak of the virus, he said, and the start of emergency measures, about 4,000 workers have lost their jobs.
Tourism, restaurants, and hotels have been the worst affected, he said, noting that these sectors employ more than 5,000 workers.
Between 12,000 and 15,000 taxi drivers have also seen a large reduction in the number of fares as a result of the suspension of schools, universities, and many other vital sectors.
A #Gaza youth group, 'The Ihsan Voluntary Campaign', organizes a fun day for children with kidney diseases. Due to the #Israeli #siege, Gaza's #kidneypatients are suffering medical issues due to the lack of proper medical equipment
(Photos: Fawzi Mahmoud, The Palestine Chronicle) pic.twitter.com/FoXGYctSHy— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) July 18, 2020
He called on the Ministry of Labour and donor countries to help provide temporary jobs for the unemployed in Gaza.
In October last year, prior to the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Social Development in the Gaza Strip said poverty and unemployment rates in the Strip had reached nearly 75 percent.
Gaza, with a population of 2 million, has been under a hermetic Israeli siege since 2006, when the Palestinian group Hamas won the democratic legislative elections in occupied Palestine. Since then, Israel has carried out numerous bombing campaigns and several major wars, that resulted in the death of thousands of people.
(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO, Social Media)
This is just sad. Not only is this happening in Gaza but also anywhere in the world! This COVID-19 pandemic has brought so much heartache and suffering to this world! I just hope and pray that better days will come and soon!