Gaza - E-wallets - 17 March 2025

Description
STORY: OCHA / GAZA E-WALLETS
TRT: 02:23
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS:         
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 17 MARCH 2025, DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP

Shotlist
1. Moving shot, markets
2. Various shots, produce at market
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, Public Information Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“More than two weeks since the crossings into Gaza, for the entry of all cargo have closed, the effects on the lives of people are already noticeable. In the markets the prices are going up, and the quality and the variety of products, especially fresh produce, is going down.”
4. Various shots, entrance to supermarket
5. Pan right, almost empty shelves
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul de Carvalho-Pointillart, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“I'm here in Gaza city in front of the main supermarket in town. The main problem people face here is the lack of physical cash to buy what they need. But here starts innovation. Private sector together with humanitarian actors are promoting the use of e-wallets. This allows people to receive humanitarian assistance directly in a digital manner, and they can spend it in the supermarket.”
7. Various shots, customers using e-wallets for their purchases
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Cherevko, Public Information Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“These systems are only effective when commodities are both available and affordable to the people. To avoid a certain decline of an already catastrophic situation. The crossings into Gaza for the entry of cargo must be opened immediately.”
9. Pan right, customers, supermarket
10. Various shots, customers completing their purchases
11. Pan right, emptied out shelves, supermarket

Storyline
With almost no cash left in Gaza, e-wallet programmes implemented by humanitarian aid groups allow Palestinians in Gaza to use aid on their terms.

But as OCHA's Olga Cherevko warns, this type of service will only be useful as long as supplies are available and affordable.

The halt on the entry of supplies by Israeli authorities for now more than two weeks is resulting in "market prices going up" while "quality and the variety of products, especially fresh produce, is going down. The crossings into Gaza for the entry of cargo must be opened immediately."