PARC’s Attitude towards the Situation in Gaza; Especially in regard with the Effect on Women’s Coops for Couscous Processing

Since the mid of June-2007 and after Hamas’ coup on the Palestinian legitimacy, the Israelis tightened the closure on all the crossings between Gaza and Egypt. They banned all the commercial materials from entering Gaza except for some basic requirements like medicine and some food items. After Israel came to a decision that Gaza Strip was a ‘hostile enemy’ it closed all the crossings and imposed further punitive measures. Not only are such measures considered a violation of international law, but they are underlining an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Perhaps, the deterioration in the agricultural sector is considered an essential feature of this catastrophe because it has worsened the already-existing suffering of one million and a half Palestinians.

The direct economical loss is estimated with 48 millions on a monthly basis; 12 millions of which is the loss of agricultural sector alone. This is because the closure has resulted in a complete, or partial, shortage of agricultural production requirements and input, has caused a high leap in prices and has banned external exportation of agricultural products; not to mention the direct threat to the food security level which reached 50%.

Many families in Gaza depend on food processing as an important source of income to realize food security; which urged PARC to enhance the capacity of Palestinian rural families in this field and to provide them with marketing services. One of the most successful experiments was the idea of establishing women’s coop for couscous processing in Gaza Strip. These coops support no less than 200 poor families; however, the current situation made them lose their main source of income.

Through fair trade department in PARC, the coops export 100 tons of couscous to fair trade organizations in Europe. Our partners, CTM in Italy and OWW in Belgium, are considered the main importers of couscous since they import around 70 tons every year. Should this situation in Gaza continue, it will completely destroy this cooperative sector and consequently will have hundreds of Palestinian families exposed to more suffering.

Recently, couscous production has been affected by the increase of fuel and wheat prices and by the shortage of some other necessary materials; in addition to the halt of exportation process and the weakness of internal marketing since the purchasing ability for most of the Palestinians in Gaza has become very limited.

PARC and its target groups hope that the international community will practice pressure during Annapolis Summit on the Israeli government in order to restore the conditions in Gaza and to reopen the crossings; which is the only way that might bring the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza to a halt.