In Gaza, women, like men, live the repercussions of wars. Often, they overlook their pain and sorrow, bravely facing their struggles to create a bearable life for their families from nothing, maintaining the “safety” of their family even under “constant Israeli bombardment.”Daily Needs of Gaza’s Women
Amidst Gaza’s deprivation, how do women manage their daily lives? When asked about their condition, their response is often “Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).” This phrase echoes among the women in Gaza, starting and ending their conversations with it.
A Mother Outside Gaza, Her Family Inside
One woman, who preferred anonymity, shared her ordeal. When Operation Al-Aqsa Flood began, she was not in Gaza but traveling to Turkey, planning to return via Egypt. However, the Israeli offensive in Gaza left her stranded in Egypt, separated from her children in Gaza.
She expresses her worry: “My anxiety is manifold… Many people, including women from Gaza, are stuck in Egypt. The hardship faced by Gaza’s people is known only to God. We rely on God.”
But what about the women in Gaza under bombardment?
A Mother Displaced to the South, Her Son in the North
“Alhamdulillah, we are fine for now,” says Shahinaz, a housewife displaced from Gaza City to the south, following Israeli army’s instructions after airstrikes. Many were martyred… “We saw their bodies flying around us,” she recounts.
Despite displacement with her husband, one of her children, and her husband’s family, one son remains in their home in Gaza, his whereabouts currently unknown. She mentions that many have walked 22 kilometers on foot from Gaza to Khan Younis.
“The situation is very difficult. We lack life’s essentials and don’t have enough money for necessities. Prices are soaring; a 25-kilogram bag of flour costs around $45, barely sufficient for a 30-member family to bake bread twice,” Shahinaz describes their “catastrophic” situation. Staying in a 4×4 room with 80 family members in Khan Younis, they lack water, electricity, solar energy, and must pay others to charge their phones. Women, the elderly, and children face particularly dire conditions: lack of sanitary pads, medicine, milk, diapers, and bedding as winter approaches.
“We maintain composure in front of our children,” says Samar al-Nabahin, a chef from Gaza. Despite the dire “tragic, catastrophic” situation and communication challenges, they make do with available food, relying on coal and fire for cooking. They eat simple meals, often without meat, dependent on dry grains like rice, bulgur, lentils, or beans, due to the absence of refrigerators. Men queue daily for drinking water and bread.
The women’s situation is further complicated by the lack of privacy and basic amenities due to their cohabitation with several families, resulting in the neglect of routine practices like toothbrushing and bathing. Women’s specific needs are completely unmet.
Cancer Patient’s Home Destroyed
Ra’eda al-Hindi, a 44-year-old displaced Gazan cancer patient, shares her story: “I am a cancer patient, undergoing hormonal treatment, with three daughters and a son, including a 14-year-old girl with Down syndrome. We had to leave our home after the Israeli bombardment destroyed a neighboring house.”
Ra’eda, along with 47 others, including women, children, and men, took refuge in her family’s home. They struggle to provide food for children, lacking water and personal care items, leading some women to take birth control pills to stop their menstrual cycles.
Pregnant Women Under Bombardment
With hospitals inaccessible, pregnant women in refugee areas face life-threatening challenges. Nasreena Suleiman, an activist from Gaza, highlights the dire situation of pregnant women, suffering miscarriages, difficult deliveries, and health complications due to inadequate nutrition, poverty, and harsh living conditions.
The United Nations Population Fund in Palestine reveals that 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are unable to access basic health services.
Gaza’s women endure unimaginable hardships amid war, their resilience and strength shining through their constant reliance on faith and hope for a better future.
for more visit dzwatch ,Daily Needs of Gaza’s Women
