If parents are imprisoned, who will provide for the children during Ramadan

20.08.09 - 11:34

Ramallah / PNN - As Ramadan nears, concerns are raised toward the children of political prisoners. Some 9,500 to 11,000 Palestinians are behind the barbed wire and bars of prison camps. Conditions are getting worse says Ahmed Said Abd Rabbo, who also notes that familial visits are on the downturn. Saber Muhtaseb is concerned about his kids. All are in school, but who is supporting them now that their father is in prison. He asks how he can spend Ramadan behind bars, not providing anything of the holy month for his family. He had been working in East Jerusalem’s Beit Hanoun, but making only 700 shekels per month, which is less than 300 dollars. “How can we even afford school uniforms or the basics for Ramadan?” Abed Rabbo asks. A call for help was issued to all human rights organizations dealing with the issue of political prisoners. “How can we survive in the face of the occupier?” The brother of Abed Rabbo said that his brother is the sole bread winner for the family and that he supports his mother and eight young siblings. The situation is growing increasingly desperate for Palestinian political prisoners who want to see their families as Ramadan approaches.