Many Gazans are turning to fraud to obtain assistance
Harsh economic conditions are forcing many Gazans to use deceptive methods to obtain aid, otherwise reserved for pregnant women, unemployed breadwinners and refugees.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The aid programs of international and local organizations that provide financial and food assistance to Gaza residents are essential. But to be eligible for aid certain conditions must be met by Gazan families. For instance, the family’s breadwinner must be unemployed or disabled, and some aid only applies to pregnant women or Palestinian refugees.
As a result, Gazans to whom the eligibility requirements do not apply have been looking for other ways to be considered for assistance, in light of the deterioration of living conditions and the lack of sources of income and employment.
Faten is four months' pregnant and lives with her husband and family in a school in the northern Gaza Strip, after the 2014 war left them homeless. She has become a resource for a number of women who wish to receive financial aid, which is offered as a one-time payout of $200 by private relief organizations to pregnant women only. Some women have begged Faten for a sample of her urine so that they can use it as "evidence" of being pregnant.
“I gave urine to a few women who came to me with small containers and asked to obtain a urine sample from me, in exchange for 50 Israeli shekels [$13] each. At first, the matter bothered me, but I eventually I agreed,” Faten told Al-Monitor on condition only her first name be used.
