While Gaza may have slipped down the news agenda since the ‘so-called’ ceasefire was agreed in early October very little has changed on the ground. More than 500 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, have been killed by Israeli airstrikes carried out during more than 1,250 ceasefire violations.
There also remains heavy restrictions on aid with less than half of the 600 aid trucks needed each day entering Gaza, as of mid-January. This means children are still going to bed hungry and families are unable to access basic healthcare.
People in Gaza have also had to contend with heavy rains and high winds throughout the winter. This has led to flooding, which has destroyed thousands of tents in displacement camps, even leading to several deaths.
Families living in tents are vulnerable to respiratory illnesses including bronchitis and pneumonia as well as skin condition due to a lack of running water and proper sanitation. Sadly eleven Palestinian children in Gaza have died from hypothermia during the winter.
Christian Aid heard from displaced mum of six Selah Abu Thabet as well as from Ola Al-Faqaawi who works for our Irish Aid funded partner Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA) about the conditions they have been facing in the displacement camps of Al-Mawasi this winter.
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“During the storm, my tent collapsed on me and my children and seawater flooded inside destroying all our belongings, including our mattresses and blankets. Almost nothing was left. We also lost a solar panel that we used to charge our phone, which my daughter depended on for her schoolwork.
“My children lost all their schoolbooks, notebooks, and school bags. I have a teenage daughter who cries constantly over her lost belongings, books, and notebooks. She has nothing left for her studies."
“The tent is completely worn out and torn. Rain pours in, and the cold at night is severe. All the tarpaulins and coverings I tried to install were torn apart and blown away by the strong winds. I was forced to use my children’s blankets to cover ourselves."
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“Children need a warm and safe place to stay. My children have suffered greatly from the cold and the harsh living conditions. Due to the extreme cold and damp conditions, I frequently have to take my children to the hospital because they are suffering from severe colds and persistent coughing.
“We have no other shelter but this place. Where can we go?”
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“Before the storms we did our best to carry out maintenance but unfortunately, the kitchen was affected just like other tents across the Gaza Strip. The tarpaulin were destroyed, and the wooden structure collapsed due to the strong winds."
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“Staff members and local families are working together as one team to repair and maintain the site. Young volunteers are reinstalling tarpaulins and reinforcing the tents to ensure that the kitchen continues operating. We are doing everything possible to prevent the storm from disrupting our daily work in serving the displaced community.”
Christian Aid Ireland’s local Irish Aid funded partner Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA) runs a camp for displaced people in Al-Mawasi. People living in tents have been given sandbags to protect them from encroaching sea waves and flooding caused by heavy rains. CFTA also runs a community kitchen providing 4,000 families with hot food, and also runs educational and fun activities in the camp for displaced children.
Every child deserves to be nourished, not left to die from starvation. Your support can bring hope and life.
