Palestinian invents system to facilitate filling gas cylinders in southern Gaza 

The displacement of 30-year-old engineer Amr Abu Samhadana from Rafah in Gaza did not prevent him from working in his field of programming. Instead, it pushed him to innovate in order to serve his community during this difficult time. In his tent in Khan Yunis, Abu Samhadana has worked on designing an easy-to-use programme that allows quick access to gas information allowing local Palestinians to know when they can fill their home gas cylinders.

Since the start of the ground operation and the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which has entered its eleventh month, actually getting hold of a gas cylinder is a dream for many people, given the scarcity of cylinders entering the enclave due to the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip live in tragic conditions with even the most basic essentials hard to obtain. They often depend on firewood for cooking, and even that has become a costly rarity.

“I decided to use Telegram to notify people when gas lists are released,” Abu Samhadana told Safa news agency. He was prompted to do this because of the great difficulty faced when sending SMS messages after networks and communications towers were destroyed. “Many people lack a strong internet connection to download Excel files, or do not have the appropriate programmes to open them. Others may not have enough experience to search the files, or even know how to do so.”

There are also some who do not have smartphones or have problems accessing the internet, of course. “So, I decided to provide a Telegram service that allows users to know when it is their turn on the gas supply list,” explained the engineer. “Citizens enter their ID numbers to be notified automatically when their name appears on the gas lists. Users can enter an unlimited number of ID numbers, which makes it easier for people who cannot follow the lists personally.”

This means that people who do not have the Internet or smartphones can rely on friends or neighbours who use the service. When friends receive a notification, they inform each other.

Abu Samhadana explained that the bot’s features include the fact that it is very fast and it is free. It relies on searches using the ID number or name and results are obtained within moments. It also features an immediate alert when a name appears, and if the user does not find their name in the current lists, the bot will save their ID number and alert them as soon as it appears in any new list. Helpfully, it also verifies the ID number and tells the user if the number is wrong or incomplete.

READ: UN: Over 80% of Gaza’s buildings destroyed