As population grows, Gaza struggles to accommodate the living and the dead | PICS
In the densely populated Gaza Strip, a battle for space is pitting the living against the dead as homeless squatters settle in the area's cemeteries while authorities grapple with the growing demand for new housing.
A battle of space is pitting the living against the dead in Gaza as homeless squatters settle in the area’s cemeteries while authorities grapple with the growing demand for new housing.
A family is living in the Sheikh Shaban cemetery with a house built covering the graves of two unknown people whose remains are now buried under the foundations.
Visitors have to climb down three steps to get into the sparsely furnished house where they encounter a strong smell.
The pressure on space in the cemetery reflects the growing pressure on land in Gaza.
Deputy Housing Minister Naji Sarhan of Gaza told Reuters that there is a rise in demand for housing and for farming land to help feed the growing population which needs 14,000 new housing units a year.
The resting places of the dead have been affected due to rise in population in Gaza.
The need for more cemetery space has also fallen down the list of priorities, especially given the repeated wars that have damaged thousands of housing units.