RAMALLAH, Jul 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – Just days ahead of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important festivals for Muslims in a year, the markets in the West Bank are still seeing no sign of a business boom.
On one side, business owners have to increase the prices of their livestock because the costs are rising quickly. On the other side, most of the Palestinians have so little in their wallets that they have to practise frugality, even though the sacrifice festival is around the corner.
Palestinian economists said, the sluggish economy in the West Bank is largely caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent strict preventive measures enforced by the Israeli regime.
Many Palestinians believed that the lockdown measures slowed down not only the spread of the virus but also the economy.
In the markets, only a small amount of customers could afford a sheep. The rest of them came here just to check the prices and were shocked by the inflation rate.
Ahmed Abu al-Amer from the city of Al-Bireh said, he could not believe the rapid rise in livestock prices, which rose by 25 percent in the past weeks.
“The price for one sheep has become equivalent to the full salary of a government employee, which means they cannot buy a sheep to practise the rituals of sacrifice on the Eid,” said Amer, a father of three.
“As for the poor families, they can’t even afford enough meat,” he added.
Meanwhile, Issa al-Taamari, a livestock merchant from Ramallah city, complained about the poor demand and low sales, which caused him financial losses.
The 50-year-old man told Xinhua, customers “are complaining about the high costs of livestock, but this high price is a result of the high prices of the food for the animals.”
On average, about 210,000 heads of livestock are consumed for the practice of sacrifice during Eid al-Adha, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said Tareq Abu Laban, undersecretary for the economic sector in the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.
While over 90 percent of the livestock are raised in local markets, the rising prices of fodder, which heavily relies on imports, changed the picture, said Laban, adding, the high costs of freight are also a factor.
Muhammad al-Alam, a fruit vendor, said, he had fruits piled up in his shop but there were not many customers to buy them.
“I used to see a 500-percent rise in sales ahead of the Eid. But this year, the situation is worse than ever,” Alam complained.
“Unfortunately, Palestinian citizens no longer have enough money to buy Eid’s goods. They are only interested in buying the necessities, such as vegetables and basic food,” the fruit merchant added.
Asaad al-Arouri, another Palestinian, said, he only plans to buy clothes for his five children. As for fruits and toys, they have become luxuries for ordinary Palestinians.
Everyone in the West Bank is suffering “a stifling economic crisis, caused by the repercussion of the pandemic,” said Arouri, adding, they will not be able to return to their normal life until the pandemic is over.– NNN-XINHUA
