Do You Know Who Can Leave Gaza?
Imagine you are stuck in a room filled with terrorists, and the only way out is to give loads of money that you don’t even have. Can you imagine the helplessness? Well, you just only had to imagine, but people in Gaza are literally experiencing it.
In Gaza, there’s no very small chance to leave; it has become like a toll booth, and only a few lucky people can cross it. According to the most recent news, the people in Gaza who want to evacuate have to pay heavy amounts of bribes to cross the Rafah Border into Egypt.
It is not possible to leave Gaza in its normal ways, as they are either closed, slow or nearly impossible to go. Even groups like Hala, which are supposed to help people, end up being a money problem for many. According to the people, if you want to get a spot on the list to leave Gaza, then you have to pay around $4500 to $10000, much more than what people in Gaza earn monthly! Hence, people in Gaza are now left with a tough choice: either they stay in a bad economy and a dangerous place, or they get into debt for a better future.
The Secret Workers of Egypt
There is this blame game going on, too, where people are accusing other people of being corrupt. As per the news, some people are secretly connected with the Egyptian government and are working secretly and taking advantage of the helplessness of the poor people of Gaza. The official fee for Egyptians to evacuate is around $650-$1200, which is way less than what they are asking Palestinians to pay. This clearly shows how dark and unfair their secret market is.
This situation has a deep and horrific effect as families are getting separated; only those who are paying hefty amounts can get medical help, education, or jobs in some other countries. Young people who have their young dreams of escaping this violence and poverty are struck there as it is against this conspired system.
This is not just a random problem but is a big human rights violation. This problem needs quick attention. The world needs to raise its voice, and the respective authorities should push Egypt to fix the corruption happening at Rafah Crossing and make sure that each and every Gazaian should get an equal opportunity and chance to leave Gaza. People should be aware and keep updated about this situation; moreover, the people who are so low to take advantage of the poor, helpless people of Gaza should be stopped and held responsible!
Rasha and her Story
There is this Palestinian woman named Rasha, who holds her citizenship in Egypt. She thought that her citizenship would help her to evacuate easily but she has not even heard back from the application department till now. Rasha said that she had been told that it would cost around $40000 to get her, her Palestinian husband, and her three children out through the Rafah border. In response, she said that there was no way that she could afford it.
What We all Can do
We all should help Gaza by doing our parts; we should invest in such projects that help people in Gaza, like creating job opportunities and improving education and healthcare; this investment and projects will give hope to the people who are still in Gaza and will slowly make it harder for the people to continue the wrongdoings at the Rafah border.
The helpless people of Gaza remind us of how much people have to suffer just because of some conflicts or money problems. To truly help the people of Gaza, we need to stop this corrupt system that is taking advantage of their helplessness. You don’t need to be a Palestinian or a Muslim to support Palestine; you just have to be a human to support Palestine!
