APAwire - APAwire CLIENTS ONLY, Gaza - 12 July 2021. Palestinians work inside a livestock farm in Gaza city ahead of Eid al-Adha.
STORYLINE
Eid al-Adha, or the feast of sacrifice, falls at this month when Muslims will slaughter sheep, goats, camels or calves.
The spread of the coronavirus in Gaza has overshadowed the preparations for the feast as it has severely damaged the already sluggish economy of the Israeli-blockaded territory.
Livestock merchants complain about the stagnating sales in the Gaza markets due to the reluctance of customers to purchase sacrificial animals under severe economic conditions.
The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture warned of a “catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip due to shortage of animal feed as a result of the Israeli blockade on the territory.
"This was caused by Israel’s refusal to allow fodder through the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing since the launch of its military aggression on May 10,” the ministry said, going on to call for piling pressure on Israel to allow the entry of fodder and grains into the blockaded enclave.
Buying sacrificial animals on installments has been increased notably over the past few years, mainly after Israel tightened the blockade it has been imposing on Gaza since 2007.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in Gaza hit 56 percent. Figures of a Gaza-based committee resisting the Israeli blockade showed that around 83 percent of the Gaza Strip's 2 million population live below the poverty line.
Footage by / APAwire