04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Palestinian farmers in the Gaza Strip are facing hardships and working at a loss as a result of the terms set out for exports by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Holding a protest yesterday, farmers said rules – which include the transport of goods to their intended buyer without lids – mean they are damaged and do not reach their intended markets in a good condition, leaving the farmers out of pocket as they do not subsequently get paid for them.
Palestinian farmers say large quantities of their crops are piled up at the Karm Abu Salem, which is the only gateway out of the Gaza Strip, and are damaged. They say the Israeli regime has imposed impossible conditions on their exports.
They called for the lifting of the 14-year-old siege on Gaza and for farmers to be allowed to freely trade with the occupied West Bank and international markets.
UNESCO must intervene to support Palestinian farmers, they said, as they are now working at a loss with supply much higher than demand in the Gaza Strip, forcing prices to drop.
