Astronomical food prices and dearth of livestock leave Gazans struggling to celebrate Eid al-Adha

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip find themselves struggling to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which begins today, as the 20-month-old war and a recent total aid blockade, which has only been partially lifted, have made it almost impossible to perform the holiday customs.

To mark Eid al-Adha — Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice — Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes.

But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months, and nearly all the territory’s homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead.

Some of the little livestock that remains is on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of al-Mawasi on the southern Gaza coast, but no one can afford to buy.

A few people stop by to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laugh watching the animals and call out the prayers connected to the holiday.

“I can’t even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,” says Abdel Rahman Madi. “The prices are astronomical.”

At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls have stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knick-knacks and old clothes. But most people leave without buying any gifts after seeing the prices.

“Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy … Now with the blockade, there’s no flour, no clothes, no joy,” says Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. “We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.”