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.
In the Sheikh Shaban cemetery, the area's oldest, Kamilia Kuhail's family live in a house constructed by her husband at the eastern edge of the site, built over the graves of two unknown people whose remains are now buried under the foundations.
“If the dead could talk, they would tell us 'get out of here',” said Ms Kuhail, who has lived in the cemetery in Gaza for 13 years with her husband and a family now numbering six children.
Visitors have to climb down three steps to enter the sparsely furnished house where they encounter a stench she calls “the smell of death”.
Her children, who earn small amounts bringing water to funeral ceremonies, keep asking their parents when they will be able to move away from the graveyard.
“I sometimes get invited by friends from school but I can't invite them here, I am too shy to do that,” said daughter Lamis, 12.
The need for space in the cemetery reflects the growing pressure on land in Gaza, a narrow patch between Egypt and Israel blockaded from both sides, which has faced a mounting demographic crisis for years. Its population is set to more than double within the next 30 years to 4.8 million and already land is running out.
Competition for real estate is fierce, with an ever-rising demand for homes and farmland to help feed the growing population, which Deputy Housing Minister Naji Sarhan says needs 14,000 new housing units a year.
Even the dead are affected, their resting places pressured not just by squatters but by the relentless realities of a rising population with nowhere else to go.
“We face a dilemma finding land to build graves because of the reality of Gaza and its population growth,” said Mazen An Najar, of Gaza's Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs, which supervises 64 cemeteries in the enclave.
“The need gets bigger and bigger every year. We need construction and we need cemeteries and graves.”
With so many competing demands, the need for more cemetery space has fallen down the list of priorities, especially given the repeated wars that have damaged thousands of housing units.
Already the ministry has closed down 24 cemeteries which had reached capacity, though many families continue to bury their dead in the old graveyards close to their homes.
“It is prohibited to bury here and it is difficult to find a place but people don't listen,” said Khaled Hejazi, a Waqf guard at Sheikh Radwan cemetery in Gaza.
“I try to stop them but I can't.”
Najar said they have allocated new cemeteries in the other four cities of the territory, but must now immediately find a replacement for the largest cemetery located in northern Gaza city, home to around 750,000 people.
“It is about to become full and maybe in three or four years we will not find land to use for burial.”
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
