In the Nuseirat refugee camp near Deir al-Balah, market stalls buzz with activity as people buy and sell items, but behind this semblance of normalcy lies a deepening crisis. Photographs capture scenes of daily life, yet the reality is stark: Gaza's jobs catastrophe has left countless individuals fighting to afford even the most basic necessities.
Life Requires Cash in a Shattered Economy
Every morning, Mansour Mohammad Bakr, a 23-year-old former fisher, leaves the small rented room in Gaza City he shares with his pregnant wife and two young daughters. He walks past the Mediterranean port where he once earned a living, but now, with his brothers dead, his father too old, and his equipment destroyed in the war, he joins hundreds of thousands in Gaza desperately seeking employment. "Money is the main means of survival in Gaza ... without it, a person cannot do anything," Bakr explains. "The limited aid that reaches us doesn't replace our need for money in any way and doesn't cover even the most basic living requirements."
Humanitarian Aid Falls Short Amid Soaring Prices
Since a ceasefire agreement took effect in October, humanitarian organisations have increased distributions, with Israel lifting some restrictions on aid delivery. In January, UN agencies and partners provided general food assistance to approximately 1.6 million people, while NGOs like World Central Kitchen serve 1 million hot meals daily. However, this assistance remains vastly insufficient, covering only basic needs. For additional items such as fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, clothes, and household goods—now available but at exorbitant prices—Palestinians in Gaza require cash.
Kate Charlton, a Médecins Sans Frontières medical coordinator in Gaza City, notes, "There has been a huge increase in commercial supplies ... but it is all very expensive." Mohammed al-Far, a 55-year-old former trader living with his family in al-Mawasi, a coastal area crowded with tent encampments, highlights the daily struggle: "We receive only one meal a day from aid organisations—rice, lentils, or beans, with meat once or twice a week. Life requires cash to go on. Transportation, haircuts, charging mobile phones, and buying vegetables and fruit all require money." Al-Far has attempted to start falafel and sweets businesses without success, accruing substantial debts, and finds his age a barrier to employment as employers prefer younger workers.
Unemployment at 80% and Economic Devastation
The core issue for Bakr, al-Far, and all job seekers in Gaza is the near-total absence of work. The UN estimates the official unemployment rate at 80%, with the economy shrinking to just 13% of its pre-war size. Pedro Manuel Moreno, deputy secretary general of the UN's trade and development agency, stated in November that the war has "wiped out decades of progress," calling Gaza's economic collapse "the fastest and most damaging ever recorded." Data shows GDP per capita in Gaza fell to $161 (£118) annually in 2024, among the lowest globally.
The Israeli offensive has shattered sanitation, transport, power, and health systems, ruined agricultural fields and greenhouses, and decimated the fishing industry that once employed thousands. Bakr dreams of returning to the sea: "I dream of buying a fishing boat like the one I used to own, so I can provide my family with food, drink, clothing, and medicine." However, even if he could find and equip a new boat, Israeli-imposed maritime restrictions would prevent him from fishing.
Ceasefire Stalls and Ongoing Violence
The October ceasefire agreement was intended to spur reconstruction, but progress has largely stalled. While some elements have advanced, such as the return of hostages and limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, Hamas's reluctance to fully disarm and Israel's unwillingness to relinquish control over much of the territory have impeded efforts. Israel has blocked the entry of a new technocratic administration under Donald Trump's "peace plan," and key crossing points remain shut or restricted.
Violence has persisted since the ceasefire, with Israel launching more attacks in January than in any month since October, according to the independent conflict monitor Acled. Gaza health authorities report 586 Palestinians killed since the truce, bringing the overall death toll to over 72,000, mostly civilians. Bisan Mohammad, a 23-year-old graduate in medical laboratory sciences, whose husband was killed early in the war, now lives in a tent with her parents in Nuseirat, caring for her daughter alone. "What is being called a 'ceasefire' hasn't changed our reality; in fact, it has made it worse," she says. "Prices keep rising, and even basic necessities, when available, are barely sufficient. I don't think about the future; it's exhausting and frightening."
A Future Clouded by Uncertainty
As people shop at local markets in Gaza City, the underlying desperation is palpable. The economic and humanitarian crisis shows no signs of abating, with residents like Mohammad expressing fear for their survival: "Everything needs money; even water, food, and bedding all require cash. Sometimes I feel that even breathing needs money." With reconstruction plans faltering and unemployment rampant, Gaza's population of 2.3 million faces an uncertain future, struggling to secure cash in a territory where life itself has become a costly endeavour.
