https://sputnikglobe.com/20220411/plastic-surgery-on-the-rise-in-gaza-despite-financial-woes-and-cultural-taboos-1094660715.html
Plastic Surgery on the Rise in Gaza, Despite Financial Woes and Cultural Taboos
Plastic Surgery on the Rise in Gaza, Despite Financial Woes and Cultural Taboos
Sputnik International
Ahmed Al Moghrabi is one of several plastic surgeons in the coastal enclave. In the past, he says, he struggled to secure clients but in recent years his... 11.04.2022, Sputnik International
2022-04-11T05:43+0000
2022-04-11T05:43+0000
2022-04-11T06:04+0000
gaza strip
plastic surgery
hamas
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The Gaza Strip, which is home to more than two million people, has seen a dramatic surge in poverty and unemployment rates. In 2021 they were 53 and 47 percent, respectively.Booming BusinessAhmed Al Moghrabi, a plastic surgery specialist from the coastal enclave, says that despite economic hardships, his business is booming.Some clients arrive at his clinic at the Nasser Medical Complex to get rid of scars and distortions caused by the wars with Israel. But the vast majority of his costumers are women seeking beauty treatments."Here, at my clinic, we are offering clients everything from liposuction and hair transplantation to lip augmentation and botox", says Al Moghrabi. "Other services include rhinoplasty, filler needles, and dimple surgeries".The clinic's services are not cheap, and the cost for some procedures can climb to $2,500, an astronomic amount for a place where the average salary is less than $300. But the surgeon says those prices pale in comparison to what Gazans would see outside of the enclave. And this is why clients keep on coming.Shifting Public Opinion?When he started his business some 20 years ago that wasn't the case. Back then, clients were scarce, rarely reaching more than ten a month. Al Moghrabi puts this down to the dire economic situation in the enclave and conservative Palestinian culture, with its desire to focus on the inner world and spirituality rather than physical appearance."Those days are now gone", says the surgeon, who has seen a 400 percent rise in clientele in the past couple of years. "We are now living in a global world, where there is a lot of competition and where much emphasis is given to beauty"."Palestinians look at celebrities and appreciate their appearance so it is only natural that they want to imitate their idols and undergo plastic surgeries that will help them to achieve that perfect look. And what about the public? Well, its opinion on the issue has been gradually changing", says Al Moghrabi.Yet, for some, such procedures are still considered a vice. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been run by the militants of Hamas, an Islamic movement that bases its charter on strict Sharia law.Aside from boasting some 30,000 well-trained combatants, the group also has a strong police force and a special unit that patrols towns and cities to make sure that residents of the enclave act, look, and dress modestly. Excessive plastic surgery is unlikely to go unnoticed under their watchful gaze. But that still doesn't present a deterrent and Al Moghrabi says the clinics of Gaza -- which currently stands at twenty -- can barely meet the demands of the masses.And he is also certain that the number of clients will only grow with time.
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gaza strip, plastic surgery, hamas
gaza strip, plastic surgery, hamas
Plastic Surgery on the Rise in Gaza, Despite Financial Woes and Cultural Taboos
05:43 GMT 11.04.2022 (Updated: 06:04 GMT 11.04.2022) Ahmed Al Moghrabi is one of several plastic surgeons in the coastal enclave. In the past, he says, he struggled to secure clients but in recent years his clientele has grown by 400 percent, and he is expecting demand to go up even more.
The Gaza Strip, which is home to more than two million people,
has seen a dramatic surge in
poverty and unemployment rates. In 2021 they were 53 and 47 percent, respectively.
Ahmed Al Moghrabi, a plastic surgery specialist from the coastal enclave, says that despite economic hardships, his business is booming.
Some clients arrive at his clinic at the Nasser Medical Complex to get rid of scars and distortions caused by the wars with Israel. But the vast majority of his costumers are women seeking beauty treatments.
"Here, at my clinic, we are offering clients everything from liposuction and hair transplantation to lip augmentation and botox", says Al Moghrabi. "Other services include rhinoplasty, filler needles, and dimple surgeries".
The clinic's services are not cheap, and the cost for some procedures can climb to $2,500, an astronomic amount for a place where the average salary is less than $300. But the surgeon says those prices pale in comparison to what Gazans would see outside of the enclave. And this is why clients keep on coming.
When he started his business some 20 years ago that wasn't the case. Back then, clients were scarce, rarely reaching more than ten a month. Al Moghrabi puts this down to the dire economic situation in the enclave and conservative Palestinian culture, with its desire to focus on the inner world and spirituality rather than physical appearance.
"Those days are now gone", says the surgeon, who has seen a 400 percent rise in clientele in the past couple of years. "We are now living in a global world, where there is a lot of competition and where much emphasis is given to beauty".
"Palestinians look at celebrities and appreciate their appearance so it is only natural that they want to imitate their idols and undergo plastic surgeries that will help them to achieve that perfect look. And what about the public? Well, its opinion on the issue has been gradually changing", says Al Moghrabi.
Yet, for some, such procedures are still considered a vice. Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been run by the militants of Hamas, an Islamic movement that bases its charter on strict Sharia law.
Aside from boasting some 30,000 well-trained combatants, the group also has a strong police force and a special unit that patrols towns and cities to make sure that residents of the enclave act, look, and dress modestly. Excessive plastic surgery is unlikely to go unnoticed under their watchful gaze. But that still doesn't present a deterrent and Al Moghrabi says the clinics of Gaza -- which currently stands at twenty -- can barely meet the demands of the masses.
And he is also certain that the number of clients will only grow with time.
