Its been seven months since the first cases of the coronavirus in the occupied Palestinian territory were reported.
Half a year, and nearly 54,000 cases of the virus later, the devastating effects that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the Palestinian economy and society are just now becoming clearer.
Like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic plunged Palestinians in the oPt into an unprecedented crisis, as government-ordered lockdowns and quarantines resulted in widespread closure of businesses, layoffs, and sky-high unemployment levels.
In Bethlehem, for example, the first city to be shut down because of the virus, unemployment rates doubled from 21% to 40-42% because of the COVID-19 lockdown, which initially lasted a number of weeks.
According to a new survey from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), some 54% of Palestinian workers in the West Bank were out of work during the first lockdown from early March until May 25th.
The survey found that during the early pandemic months, 80% of the main earners in Palestinian families experienced a decrease in the workload — a phenomenon that PCBS was felt even more in the West Bank compared to Gaza.
For those who managed to avoid unemployment, 52% were forced to work without receiving any of their wages during the lockdown period — a trend that primarily affected the private sector, as many private companies refused to abide by labor laws, with little to no enforcement of those laws by government officials.
One of the most revealing findings in the new PCBS survey was made in regards to online distanced learning, which a vast majority of Palestinian students across the oPt have been subjected to as a result of widespread school closures which were enforced just weeks, sometimes even days, after schools were reopened in September.
According to the survey, 49% of Palestinian households said that their children were being deprived of access to online learning, due to unavailability of necessities like internet and required technologies like smart phones or computer.
Back in August, Mondoweiss spoke to Palestinian mother of five Maysoun Abu Sadoud, who said that her family couldn’t afford to buy a computer, and that since March, her kids had been sharing one singular phone for online learning.
“We can’t afford to buy a laptop or a computer, or any of these kinds of technologies that are really expensive, especially during this time,” Abu Sadoud said.
“It’s not just difficult for me, it is for everyone. During the time of coronavirus, it has been really difficult for everyone.”
For those who have been able to participate in online learning, PCBS said, 40% of households described the experience as “bad” and unable to fulfil their students’ needs.
While it’s been a few months since strict government lockdowns were enforced in places like the West Bank, the ongoing effects of the coronavirus are still very much being felt by ordinary citizens, workers, and local businesses.
Many people are still either out of work or receiving partial salaries, and like the rest of the world, life at the moment seems very much up in the air.
While the Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported a recovery rate of more than 80% in the oPt, hundreds of cases and several deaths continue to be reported every day.
