Every little helps: Palestinians salvage what they can to rebuild their shattered lives

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES

Gaza has been under the Israeli Occupier’s siege for over three years now. The Occupying Forces and their Egyptian allies monitor the ‘exits’ out of the strip and thereby deprive Gazans of the basic necessities of life. Food, medicine and construction materials are all witheld, nevertheless, through the ingenuity and resilience of these inspirational people, they continue to find alternative means to improve their quality of life, however small.

Middle East Monitor photographer, Mohammed Asad, sends MEMO exclusive pictures of young Palestinian men and boys rallying together to collect rocks and stones from wherever possible for use in new construction. They also collect large bricks and bolders from the rubble that remains following the devastation wrought by Operation Cast Lead. These stones and bricks are then sold on to construction factories, where they are crushed and recycled to be used in the building of essential housing, hospitals and schools. However, this immensely tiresome work earns labourers as little as 5 USD per cart (just over £3).

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MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asad