Feature: Weekly market as temporary escape from unemployment in Gaza

The popular Yarmuk weekly market in the Gaza Strip has been a temporary refuge for the unemployed, some of whom turn to be hawkers at the renowned market.

"I do not earn much money, but it is much better than being fully unemployed," said 36-year-old Mahmoud Bilbeisi, seller of hats and sunglasses.

The man, who started his work at the market two years ago after losing his job as a construction worker, said he never worked in business before, but the harsh living conditions in poverty have forced him to think of being a seller.

"Everything I sell here is less than three U.S. dollars, but being a seller for two days a week is a good escape from the reality of unemployment," he said, sitting behind his modest rug of goods in wait for a customer.

"Popular markets are always busy with buyers because the goods sold here are cheap," he said. "Sellers here do not have to rent a store ... all we need is a tiny space where we can display our goods on a rug."

Gaza has been placed under a tight Israeli blockade since Hamas movement seized the territory by force in 2007.

The blockade has pushed Gaza's 1.9 million residents deeper into poverty as unemployment rate hits 42.7 percent, according to official figures.

Popular weekly markets in Gaza are usually packed with shoppers looking for cheap goods, ranging from clothes to home appliances. The coastal enclave has dozens of such markets in cities, towns and villages.

"After the blockade, construction has been a poor business as most of the construction materials were banned into Gaza. The weekly markets have really helped me earn some money to feed my four kids," he added as he invited passing shoppers to have a look at his colorful hats and cheap sunglasses.

On May 1, people around the world mark the International Workers' Day, yet meaningless to Bilbeisi and hundreds of thousands of unemployed Palestinians in Gaza.

"I want this blockade to end and get back to work as a construction worker," the man said helplessly. "There are thousands of jobless here and we are hopeless of a better future for our children amid such disasters."

According to head of the General Federation of Palestine's Trades Unions in Gaza Sami Al-Amassi, workers' unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip hit 60 percent due to the nine-year long Israeli blockade.

He said that Palestinian laborers have been experiencing serious, tragic and unprecedented conditions over the past two decades.

"Around 360,000 workers in Gaza are jobless... these laborers live in very tough economic conditions and they can barely manage living," he added.

The official contributed the problem to the lack of chances for laborers to work abroad. "Thousands of thousands used to work in Israel and the Gulf countries, but most of them have lost their jobs."

Maher al-Tabbaa, media chief for the Gaza Commerce Chamber, said that Gaza has no new jobs and the labor market cannot provide any job opportunities in light of the imposed blockade.

"The international, regional and Islamic organizations must move now to help put an end to the increasing unemployment and poverty amid the Palestinians in Gaza before it is too late," he urged.

He hoped that Arab countries would provide more job opportunities for Palestinian workers even just for short period of times, "because this will help decrease poverty." Endit