Displaced people in Gaza search for warm clothes as the cold sets in

2024-01-28 2024-01-28T11:13:23Z

Weather of Arabia - Displaced women from the northern Gaza Strip find themselves facing the challenge of choosing suitable clothes for their children in light of the lack of capabilities; As they wander through piles of used winter clothes displayed on iron stands, hoping to find what they need to warm their children from the cold of winter.

Used clothes have become an acceptable option for the displaced people who fled to the southern Gaza Strip to escape the Israeli bombing, where they fled without being able to take any clothes with them. The use of used clothes is witnessing an increase in demand throughout the Strip, due to the scarcity of new clothes and the inability to bring in new quantities. ; Due to strict Israeli restrictions.

The difficult living conditions of the displaced in the besieged Gaza Strip worsened during the winter

Displaced people in the Gaza Strip live in harsh conditions during the winter, as rain falls, temperatures drop, and they suffer from a severe shortage of basic supplies such as food and clean water.

The New York Times published a report recounting the suffering of displaced people residing in tents, as a couple struggled to keep their children warm during cold and rainy nights. One night, in the midst of rain and falling temperatures, the family of Heba and Ihab Ahmed were hugging their two children tightly, as they... They rely on their body heat and a thin blanket to keep the children warm, while rain and wind enter through openings in their tent.

Heba Ahmed (36 years old) said:

“We have nothing to keep us warm and dry. We are living in conditions that I could never have imagined in my entire life.”

Ahmed's family is one of 1.9 million displaced people in Gaza. Ihab Ahmed (45 years old) explained that they live in a small tent made of nylon and some wooden boards, which they share with a family that includes 16 other members.

During the day, Ihab and his sons search for firewood and cardboard to light a small fire that they use for cooking and heating. In return, he expresses their living conditions by saying:

“I'm talking to you, while the smoke from the fire blinds me. The smoke hurts our lungs too.”

The tragic life in the Gaza Strip and the effects of the October 2023 war

The Israeli policy of closing the crossings leading to the Gaza Strip has continued since October 7, as these crossings are supposed to be the vital link between the Strip and the rest of the world, as the Rafah crossing is only partially opened to allow the entry of limited aid and to evacuate some sick and injured people.

Since the beginning of the Israeli attack on October 7, 2023, the conflict has left massive destruction in Gaza, resulting in the death of a large number of people and the injury of others, most of them children and women. These events were accompanied by major destruction of infrastructure, and resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to Reports from sectoral authorities and the United Nations.