A voice from Gaza : Hadeel
Hello everyone,
Here is Hadeel story. A big thanks to her for her trust!
I’m Hadeel from Gaza I want to talk to you to share my story… Voices from Gaza
I am a mother of two children, Jouri and Hamza… I write these words with an unbearable pain in my heart. I never imagined life would bring us to this point of helplessness and need, but today we live a reality harsher than words can describe.
My husband has an amputated leg… he lost his ability to work and move, and now he himself needs help.
Since that day, everything in our lives has changed. We have no provider, no source of income, only daily fear of tomorrow and hunger that haunts my children every moment. We live in a tent that offers no protection from the heat or the cold… the wind plays with it, dust fills our lungs, and insects attack us at night.
My children know nothing of safety or peaceful sleep. Jouri is sick; her condition worsens day by day due to the lack of medicine and food, and I stand helpless before her, able only to weep and pray.
As for Hamza, despite his young age, he goes out every day to stand in long lines under the sun, waiting his turn to receive a little food from the charity.
How many times has he come home crying… because he got nothing, or returned with a meager amount that wasn’t enough for him, not even enough for a child who needs food to grow?
I see in his eyes a weariness beyond his years, and I feel his childhood being stolen from him day by day.
Life here isn’t life… it’s a constant struggle for survival. We try to provide the most basic necessities: clean food, potable water, simple medicine… but these have become distant dreams. I’m not asking for the impossible…
I just want to see my children well, to eat without fear, to sleep without hunger, to receive their treatment before their condition worsens.
I want to reclaim a small part of the dignity that has been taken from us. My story isn’t unique, but my pain is all I have left now… Please, don’t leave us alone. Any help, any support, any participation… could save my children’s lives.
Question and Answer
Hello Hadeel, and thank you for agreeing to answer these few questions so we can get to know you better.
This “interview” will be divided into 4 sections: Life in Rafah before, the turning point, the present, and a conclusion.
Life in Gaza
How would you describe life in Gaza before you were forced to leave, for people who have never been there? Firstly, Gaza was very beautiful… beautiful because of its people… generous to its guests.
How old were your children when you had to leave? Did they realize what was happening around them? I have two children. Jouri and Hamza Jouri was 3 years old. She was a very smart child who understood everything that happened. She remembered our house and her toys that we left without. As for Hamza, he was a year and a half old, an innocent child who understood nothing.
What is your educational and professional background? I graduated from the Islamic University with a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Education and I used to work as a childcare provider in a private association.
What was the school your children attended like? UNRWA ? My children are young and haven’t started school yet, but I used to take Jouri to my work with the children so she could have fun.
What were their favorite subjects in school ? They didn’t attend school… School enrollment begins at age 6. But Jouri loves coloring and drawing.
Do you still have any family, besides your children and your husband ? Are you still in touch with them ? I lost my mother in the war… My mother has cancer and hasn’t received any treatment because of the siege. But my husband’s family is next door
The turning point
When did you realize you had to leave? What was the trigger? I realized I had to leave when the danger reached our area; it became a danger zone. The shelling is everywhere; hand grenades are being thrown at anyone who leaves their house. The area is under siege, with no goods or food allowed in.
How did your departure from Rafah unfold? What were you able to take with you? I took nothing with me, and danger was right above our heads, so we fled without anything. We walked long distances because there was no transportation available.
Under what conditions did this departure take place? The place became extremely dangerous, so we left.
Did you receive any help? We receive one monthly food voucher from the World Food Programme.
The present
How is the camp organized today? What exactly are you living in? I am currently staying in Deir al-Balah in a tent belonging to a camp, but no aid is reaching me. The tent is very poor quality and has been torn by strong winds and the sun.
HIs there any financial assistance available, or do you rely solely on donations to buy things? There is no financial assistance… it relies on small donations. Sometimes we rely on food from soup kitchens; sometimes we get it, sometimes we don’t.
What are the prices for basic necessities and hygiene products, as well as food? Prices are very high, especially for vegetables and meat. Prices doubled
What can you buy where you are? Everything is available and accessible, but the prices are too high for me to afford.
How do you connect to the Internet? We don’t have electricity; we rely on batteries and internet from public lines in the street.
Is there mutual aid in the camp, and how is it organized? Yes, everyone is cooperative, likes each other, and helps with cleanliness… everyone cleans their own area.
How are your daily lives organized in the camp? Our way of life is the same in the camp… In the morning, we form half a queue to get water… and then another queue to get bread… and our food is deliberately prepared by the soup kitchens. There is no lighting; we enter our tents before darkness falls for fear of animals… dogs. There are many rodents
Conclusion
If you could speak to everyone, what would you say to them? I am the sole provider for my children. No one helps me. My husband’s leg was amputated, and he can’t do anything; he’s completely helpless. My children, despite their young age, are the ones who stand in line for water and food under the scorching sun. I need weekly assistance so that I and my children can live. The lighting and tents here are very bad.
My children’s lives have been turned upside down, and they have no life now.
