There are Palestinian children in Gaza who earn a living by working hard to support their families in the midst of war-torn conditions. The World Bank reports that almost everyone in Gaza is now living in poverty.
Every morning, Ahmad, a 12-year-old boy, heads out to Khan Yunis in southern Gaza to search through the debris left by Israeli bombings. He collects stones, crushes them, and sells buckets of gravel for one shekel each to grieving families who use them to mark graves.
Despite his efforts, Ahmad only makes a few shekels a day, barely enough to afford basic items. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has taken a toll on its residents, with widespread poverty affecting the majority of the population.
Child labor has been a common practice in Gaza, where poverty and unemployment rates were high even before the war. The destruction caused by the conflict has made it difficult for children like Khamis and Sami to find stable work. They now sell juice to make a living, with Khamis recounting the challenges they face, including injuries and lack of medical care.
The meager earnings of these children are not enough to cover the costs of survival, especially in a place where basic necessities are becoming more expensive. Despite their hard work, the money they earn is quickly spent, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
Moatassem, a 13-year-old boy, also contributes to his family’s income by selling coffee and dried fruit on the roadside. He describes the difficulties of earning money in a place where prices are rising rapidly and basic needs are hard to afford.
In such challenging circumstances, the children of Gaza focus on meeting their basic needs, dreaming of a return to their normal lives without the hardships of war and poverty.
