Nearly 90% of young Gazans consider their lives to be spent in "abnormal" situations

The ICRC stresses that "the young people residing in Gaza desperately need a path to hope"

MADRID, 27 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

About 90 percent of young Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip believe that their lives are not under "normal" circumstances due to the war and the blockade imposed by Israel, according to a survey by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ).

The results of the survey, conducted between July 18 and August 3 of 385 Palestinians between the ages of 18 and 30, show that two-thirds of Gazans depend on their families for income, while 40 percent they say they have no hope of finding a job for the next 15 years.

Thus, 88.8 percent of the participants stated that life in Gaza is "abnormal" compared to other areas, mainly due to the repercussions of the clashes, the blockade, internal differences between Palestinian factions and climate change.

In addition, 95.6 percent consider that they are negatively affected by the humanitarian situation due to lack of work and low income, lack of access to basic services, including power cuts, poor water quality, lack of withdrawal garbage and malnutrition, and the impact of hostilities.

On the other hand, 49 percent of young Gazans suffer from stress, anxiety and depression, while 34.5 percent say they suffer from social problems with their friends and 12.4 percent choose to avoid marriage.

38.7 percent of the respondents point to a decrease in access to quality medical services due to the limited capacities of health centers, while 33.6 percent cannot afford to pay for health care and 27 .7 percent are unable to receive treatment due to foreign travel restrictions.

Added to this is the fact that 39.2 percent of young Gazans have lost job opportunities abroad and that 20.6 percent were unable to leave the enclave for a business opportunity. Likewise, 16.2 per cent have been denied access to better treatment, 12.9 per cent have lost a scholarship abroad and 11.1 per cent have experienced reduced chances of establishing a family.

Regarding the future, 42.9 percent believe that they will not be able to find a job in the next 15 years, while 67.5 percent believe that there will be new hostilities with Israel in the future. An additional 19.2 percent believe there is a 50 percent chance of further clashes.

Likewise, 47.8 percent say they have little hope about an improvement in travel mechanisms to and from the Strip, while 33.5 percent say they have no hope in this regard.

Lastly, 66.2 percent believe they will have no electricity for the whole day and 38.4 percent expect new generations of internet services to come to Gaza, with 23.4 percent expecting just the opposite.

A fifth of Gaza's population is between the ages of 18 and 29, and 15 years of Israeli-imposed restrictions on the movement of people and goods have contributed to a deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in the Strip, according to the ICRC.

"The wars and the blockade have negatively impacted all the young people in Gaza, not just me. The war is bad enough on its own and added to the blockade it makes it too much to bear," said Laiz Rashdan, a university graduate. 25 years old.

Nuran al Zaim, 23, stressed that "all that is asked is to live normally, like others around the world." "We want to be able to move freely, travel and have decent jobs," he explained in statements to the body.

In this sense, the deputy secretary of the ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza, Nicolas Geeraert, stated that "the needs of young people go beyond the economic dimension of Gaza, since half of the young people say they have suffered significant problems of mental health and a third of them suffer from social problems.

"The young people residing in Gaza desperately need a path to hope and opportunity away from the pain and suffering caused by hostilities and restrictions on movement," Geeraert said.

For this reason, the ICRC has called for long-term solutions that provide dignified solutions to young Gazans and has asked the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to address the humanitarian consequences that prevent the population's access to essential services in the enclave.