Displaced Palestinians in Rafah Use Pastry-Making Skills to Earn Money
(AWP) - As displaced Palestinians flow into Rafah, southern Gaza, under continued Israeli bombardment across the strip, some young Palestinian men came up with a way to make ends meet in the war that broke out on October 7.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes within the battered enclave due to the war, out of a total population of 2.3 million.
Amid these harsh living conditions, Jamal Abu-Asy decided to use the skills from his old job as a confectioner despite being displaced from Gaza City.
He said, “We were displaced from al-Daraj neighbourhood to Rafah after the Israeli army’s ground incursion. We are originally confectioners and only want to support our families. So we started making Egyptian meshabek (rounded and crispy fried pastries soaked in syrup) to offer people something sweet and earn a living.”
Abu-Asy explained he has to rely on firewood to make his sweet delicacies, saying, “All the cooking takes place on firewood because there is no electricity or gas. We rely on firewood for our work.”
He says the pastry sales are popular because he sells them at cost price despite the expensive prices of raw materials. He says aims to ease the troubles of displaced people without seeking large profits other than some money for his family’s needs.