Fishermen in Gaza are constructing and repairing makeshift dinghies using reclaimed doorframes and salvaged materials to maintain their livelihoods [1].
These efforts represent a critical survival strategy for coastal communities whose primary means of food production and income were decimated by conflict. With original vessels destroyed, the use of salvaged debris is the only remaining option for many to access the sea [2].
Working from a local workshop on the Gaza coast, the men utilize a combination of fiberglass, wood, and doorframes [1]. These materials are salvaged from the rubble left behind by Israeli airstrikes [2]. The process involves patching up existing hulls or building small, rudimentary vessels capable of staying afloat in coastal waters [1].
Fishermen rely on these makeshift boats to continue fishing, as the destruction of their professional fleet has stripped them of their traditional tools [2]. The reliance on salvaged doorframes highlights the scarcity of industrial building materials in the region, a direct result of the ongoing conflict and restricted access to new supplies [1].
Each vessel is a product of necessity, assembled from whatever fragments of former homes and businesses remain in the wreckage [2]. The makeshift nature of the boats provides limited stability compared to standard fishing vessels, but they allow the men to reach fishing grounds that would otherwise be inaccessible [1].
“Fishermen in Gaza are constructing and repairing makeshift dinghies using reclaimed doorframes.”
The transition from professional fishing fleets to makeshift vessels built from residential rubble underscores the total collapse of Gaza's maritime infrastructure. This adaptation reflects a broader pattern of 'rubble economies' in conflict zones, where civilians repurpose the remains of destroyed urban environments to sustain basic food security and economic activity.
