During 2014, at least 1,500 homes have been destroyed along with farmers' land, displacing at least 2,000 residents with no apparent compensation or prior warning (1; 2; 4; 5). Amidst government and media propaganda hailing the potential economic benefits of the "new" Suez canal, portrayed as a national pride, tittle attention has been paid to such evictions which took place in in two villages in the governorate of Ismailia (Abtal and Qantara Sharq) located to the east of the canal (2). Farmers saw their mango trees ripped out and their lands and houses demolished (2; 4). Residents still wait for a court ruling regarding their case. There was no apparent mobilised opposition, particularly with the new government's anti-protest law and the firm grip of the army on the Suez Canal and Sinai regions amidst fears of terrorism. The area has been inhabited for three decades, and residents have been paying the government utility bills. According to the residents' lawyer, it should be legally recognised as their home. However, the military evicted villagers on the basis that they have no right to be living on land which had always belonged to the army, disregarding their destroyed livelihoods (4; 5).

After nearly a year of work led by the army, the president inaugurated the completed bypass on 6 August 2015 amidst incredible celebratory propaganda. The canal was schedule to take three years of work, but with more time, effort and resources was completed in one year. What is less known is that 5 workers died on-site due to work related accidents, and 103 others were reported to have collapsed due to sunstrokes (6). Work and accommodation conditions for part-time contracted and non-unionized workers was alarming, with exposure to intense heat, cold at night, wild dogs, snakes and scorpions, where some workers slept out in the open (6). National and foreign companies were contracted for carrying out dry-digging and dredging activities. In September, 2015, two consortia of foreign companies, which were involved in the dredging process denied violating labor rights (7,8). Some 80 (mostly national) companies were involved in the dry-digging phase (9).

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