Food aid provided by Jordan to residents of the Gaza Strip (Al Jazeera)
Amman -
“In light of the deteriorating catastrophic humanitarian conditions that people in the Gaza Strip are experiencing, we cannot close our eyes to what is happening there, especially as we live in the holy month of Ramadan.” This is how Jordanian pilgrim Fatima Tarkhan expressed solidarity with Gaza in light of the continuing Israeli aggression against it.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Tarkhan (62 years old) expressed her refusal to participate in any family invitation to break the fast in Ramadan, and urged people to donate the money allocated for the banquet to collect donations for the people of Gaza in the form of food parcels or cash aid.
Launching a youth initiative in Irbid on behalf of the martyrs of Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Frustration and anxiety
Restaurants, cafes, and sweets shops witnessed a noticeable decline in demand compared to previous years, due to the state of frustration and anxiety that gripped Jordanians as a result of the deteriorating living and humanitarian conditions of the residents of the Gaza Strip. All aspects of celebration, decorations, and welcoming the holy month of Ramadan that Jordanians had become accustomed to in recent years were also cancelled.
In light of the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the siege and starvation that the residents of the northern Gaza Strip are experiencing, the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, in coordination with the Jordanian Charitable Organization and the Amman Chamber of Commerce, launched the “Share the Ramadan Iftar Meal” campaign with the people of Gaza.
The head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, said that the war on Gaza caused a change in the priorities and thinking of the Jordanian citizen through the abstention of institutions, companies and banks from calling for annual collective Ramadan iftars in solidarity with the people of Gaza, and allocating its proceeds to its people.
Tawfiq added to Al Jazeera Net that the chamber was able to deliver 80,000 food parcels and meals of high quality and nutritional value to the residents of the northern Gaza Strip on a daily basis since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, to relieve the people of the difficult conditions and suffering they are exposed to as a result of the Israeli aggression.
Collecting food supplies for those trapped in Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Decline in purchasing activity
The head of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce pointed out that the Jordanian citizen - today - seeks to share his iftar table during Ramadan willingly and selflessly with the residents of the Gaza Strip.
He continued, "We are happy because we share a morsel of food with our people in Gaza, and this comes as an embodiment of Jordan's humanitarian positions, and we will continue to do so until the end of the month of Ramadan."
Purchasing activity in Jordan declined with the beginning of the month of Ramadan, according to economic observers, by 40% of the normal rate, as the war on Gaza cast a shadow on the priorities of Jordanians who feel helpless in the face of the massacres taking place there on a daily basis.
This is confirmed by the testimony of citizen Ayman Qaddoura (43 years old), who said in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that thinking about Ramadan decorations is no longer a possibility for Jordanians.
The same spokesman explained, "Hanging Ramadan lanterns gives a feeling of comfort and happiness, and these words no longer exist among us in light of the war on the Gaza Strip and the continued policy of starvation, killing, and destruction practiced by the Israeli occupation forces against our people and brothers in Gaza."
An austerity breakfast for the Jordanian Engineers Union to collect donations for Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Austerity breakfasts
Many Jordanians have recently focused on providing support, assistance, and donations to the people of Gaza, as an alternative to Ramadan celebrations, banquets, and the usual night parties, all of which have stopped in light of the aggression against Gaza.
On the other hand, a number of institutions and professional unions began holding collective austerity iftars, the proceeds of which would be allocated to the benefit of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, under the slogan “Our breakfast is in Amman, our food is in Gaza.”
During these iftars, tens of thousands of daily iftar meals were allocated and distributed to the residents of Gaza through airdrops via the Jordanian Air Force.
This comes at a time when a number of major institutions and companies have begun preparing a brotherhood campaign entitled “Your Eid to Our People in Gaza,” which aims to deliver direct financial aid to thousands of families in Gaza to purchase their basic needs.
Source: Al Jazeera