VOA标准英语2013--隧道关闭冲击加沙地带的农民（在线收听）

Tunnel Closures Hit Gaza Farmers 隧道关闭冲击加沙地带的农民

GAZA STRIP — An offensive by Egypt’s new government against militants  in the Sinai Peninsula has destroyed most of the smuggling tunnels to  Gaza. The resulting job losses and shortages of agricultural supplies  are squeezing the livelihoods of local farmers.

Mohamed Shamalak and his family have farmed this one-hectare plot of  land for three generations. It used to yield dozens of crates of  peppers, cucumbers and lettuce each season.

Its location on a major highway running almost the entire length of  Gaza provided a steady stream of customers. That is not the case today,  though.

"The people are tired [poor]. I've just picked two boxes [about 20 kg]  of cucumbers, and since this morning I've sold only one kilo. People  find them too expensive. Everything is costly," said Shamalak.

Since the Egyptian government destroyed the smuggling tunnels into Gaza  and restricted access to the Rafah Crossing, said Shamalak, prices for  fertilizer have skyrocketed. This aggravated a six-year blockade by  Israel. The Egyptian government says militants were using the tunnels  to stage attacks in the Sinai Peninsula.

Many Gazans doubt this. They think Egypt’s new leaders are trying to  undermine the governing Hamas movement, which supported deposed  Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.

Shamalak says many more Gazans are out of work now. He has had to lower  his prices and is barely breaking even.

"The solution is for things to return like they were, open the  Crossing, re-open the tunnels, so that all the workers can return to  their jobs," said Shamalak.

That does not appear likely under the new government in Cairo. So all  farmers can do is try to hold on and hope things eventually change.