A voice from Gaza : Rania
Hi everyone, Here is Rania’s story
Introduction
Hello Rania, and thank you for agreeing to answer these few questions so we can get to know you better.
I just hope to find support and someone to help me by donating, spreading the word about my campaign, or sponsoring my family. Thank you.
Here is her testimony, just as she gave it to me:
My husband went to the famine area during a very, very, very difficult time. He went to collect aid for his children. Many people were being killed while trying to get aid. Unfortunately, my husband fell while trying to get it. Under the aid truck, two of my friends were killed instantly. My husband, unfortunately, was run over by the truck; he can no longer walk.I struggle to make ends meet. I rely on a link to earn money so that I can live and provide food for myself, my children, and my husband.
During the famine, my daughter Kinda, due to malnutrition, would fall to the ground and break her arm. There was no food for the children.
My husband went to the famine area during a very, very, very difficult time. He went to collect aid for his children. Many people were being killed while trying to get aid. Unfortunately, my husband fell while trying to get it.
Living in tents is very difficult in the summer due to the heat and insects; we cannot sleep. Life is extremely difficult.
While we were in Rafah, my brother’s house was bombed, and I was inside. My nephew was martyred two days after being injured. Those were very, very, very difficult times.
Death in Gaza has become easier than drinking water… Imagine walking down a quiet street when suddenly a shell lands next to you, targeting someone you didn’t know about, and suddenly you’re gone.
The most heartbreaking thing that made me cry was while I was talking to you. I remember my mother went to Egypt for treatment during the war, and I was eagerly awaiting her return. She was also waiting to return to Gaza, but unfortunately, she passed away in Egypt and was buried there. I never saw her again. Whenever I remember my mother, I cry a lot, I swear to God. My heart is breaking from the pain of separation. My heart breaks for my mother’s loss. War is on one side of the scale, and losing my mother without saying goodbye or seeing her again is on the other. I didn’t cry over a house or anything else that happened, only over my mother. I started wishing I could join her. Praise be to God for everything in the end.
Life in Gaza
How old were your children when you had to leave? Did they realize what was happening around them?
My children are: Kinda, seven years old; Ady, 10 years old; Jana, 13 years old; and Aya, 18 years old. It’s true, my children were aware of what happened in Gaza and knew everything. The war was very, very difficult. It differs from all previous wars because it destroys the house and everyone inside it.
He might destroy an entire square just to assassinate one person.
What is your educational and professional background?
As for my education, I finished my university studies, majoring in science, but unfortunately I didn’t get a job due to nepotism and favoritism in hiring.
What was the school your children attended like? UNRWA ?
Education was excellent before the war, especially in UNRWA schools; there was a lot of attention given to it… unfortunately, the schools were destroyed, and the remaining schools are now housing displaced people.
What were their favorite subjects in school ?
My children love studying English; it’s one of their favorite subjects.
Do you still have any family, besides your children and your husband ? Are you still in touch with them ?
I have brothers, each living in a place where the war separated us. I am now only with my children and my injured husband.
The turning point
When did you realize you had to leave? What was the trigger?
Israel ordered us to leave the area we were in, the city of Rafah. They gave us a one-day deadline, and then the bombing began everywhere. I tried to stay through the bombing, but I left everything and went out of my house. I didn’t take anything because of the heavy shelling.
How did your departure from Rafah unfold?
Walk on foot, there are no vehicles. Everyone is afraid to enter Rafah city.
Under what conditions did this departure take place?
The second day, the first day, it might have been Gaza is small and easily controlled.
Did you receive any help?
Unfortunately, the World Food Programme’s food aid consists of canned goods, beans, lentils, and rice. My children are tired of eating lentils, beans, and rice. This is the aid we receive from the World Food Programme.
The concrete present
How is the camp organized today? What exactly are you living in?
I live in a tent in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis. This is a town before Rafah from the north, about 7 kilometers away from Rafah.
Is there any financial assistance available, or do you rely solely on donations to buy things?
We rely on donations. The money we receive from donations is subject to a high commission, up to 17% to 20%, when we take money from an office. And after much longer than that This means that the amount we receive doesn’t reach the total amount because a large portion is deducted for commission.
What are the prices for basic necessities and hygiene products, as well as food?
A kilo of meat can cost up to $40 Because prices rise significantly during the holiday. And the prices of cleaning supplies are also high. Once a month, I buy half a kilo for my children. Chicken is the same; buy chicken wings, they’re the cheapest.
What can you buy where you are?
For cleaning supplies, buy only soap and only dishwashing liquid. We wash with soap, not shampoo. It’s difficult to buy clothes all at once in a year; their prices are high and would cost me a lot for my four children. I can’t afford to buy them. Wash clothes with soap most of the time. If you have the money, buy Ariel laundry detergent.
Do your children have internet access for their studies?
The internet is available, and my children study online.
Is there mutual aid in the camp, and how is it organized?
There is no reciprocal assistance; the camp has a representative who, in case of receiving aid, distributes it within the camp. Like soup kitchen food
How are your daily lives organized in the camp?
Most of the time, I relied on food from the soup kitchen distributed by the international kitchen. My children got tired of the soup kitchen food. It consists of lentils, rice, and beans. Because we are living in harsh conditions after leaving our home, we live in tents that offer no protection from the sun’s heat or the winter’s cold. Living in tents is very difficult in the summer due to the heat and insects; we cannot sleep. Life is extremely difficult.
Conclusion
If you could speak to everyone, what would you say to them?
First, thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk about the suffering of the people of Gaza and my own suffering in particular. I want to tell everyone that the war in Gaza is not over. The suffering is not over. The fear and killing are not over. Every day is worse than the last. We have lost everything: relatives, loved ones, friends, homes. We are living a difficult life in the camps. I hope everyone… May they not abandon their humanity, and may their help enable us to persevere and face the harsh conditions we are living through. All my love and respect to you all.