Gaza is running out of cash

Palestinians pay the price as black market springs up around banknotes and coins

Photo collage of a man cleaning a giant stained shekel banknote
Repairing old and worn out banknotes in Gaza has become a new trade for Palestinians as the enclave runs out of hard currency
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

Gaza's ongoing humanitarian crisis has created yet another problem for residents – a desperate shortage of cash.

With the Israeli siege blocking supplies of fresh currency into the territory, Palestinians are having to mend their "tattered bills and rusted coins" to buy essential goods, said the Financial Times.

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Elizabeth Carr-Ellis is a freelance journalist and was previously the UK website's Production Editor. She has also held senior roles at The Scotsman, Sunday Herald and Hello!. As well as her writing, she is the creator and co-founder of the Pausitivity #KnowYourMenopause campaign and has appeared on national and international media discussing women's healthcare.