From The Al Shata Refugee Camp in Gaza Comes the Humanitarian Story of Sohad Hasi

"My late husband Jawad has abandoned his fishing tools... he won't be bringing the colorful, all shapes and sizes fish to the house anymore... our children Mohamed, Ahmed and Abdullah will keep waiting for their dad to come back home."

This is how Sohad, a recent window that turned 27 few months ago started her conversation, holding her tears back so that the children won't see her crying. She told us that they moved from her husband's family overcrowded house only ten days before he died. UNRWA offered them a small apartment due to economical crises the family was undergoing; especially that Jawad, before he died, had stopped working ever since Israel prohibited fishing in the Sea of Gaza.

"We all had felt so happy and thrilled after UNRWA offered the small apartment for us, but this happiness could not continue. We had our own space with and extra room for the children, which is better than the one-room house in the camp where we used to live, where rain could come through in the winter, and it become like an oven in the summer."

Jawad passed away when he was out buying milk for our two-year son, Abdullah, from a shop just next to his parents' house. On his way back, he was fatally injured when an air strike targeted the nearby Shat'a Camp with missiles.

Retelling the incident, Sohad said, "I saw the bombing from our balcony.. I only saw a young man dying alone because people could not intervene for help due to the smoke. I was thinking to myself, that god helps the parents and the family of this young man. When the scene became clearer, I recognized the clothes. He was my husband Jawad. I ran down the street toward him. I was shouting so he could hear me. The ambulance came and I was with him. I begged him to wake up, to open his eyes, but he was just sleeping with a smile on his face".

Sohad waited for 2 hours in the hospital. The injuries that Jawad got were beyond severe: 3 in the head and 13 in the rest of his body. The doctors requested that she leaves the hospital; there was no room for people who are not injured or dead. She left the hospital. One her way back to her house, she started talking to herself: "I was asking myself what kind of a future will I have? My oldest son is 8 years old and my youngest is one year and 8 months old. As soon as I came inside the house, they informed me that Jawad died".

"Jawad is now relieved from the misery we live in", said Sohad. She moved back to her parent's house, where she is mourning her loss. "I always dreamt of having my own house, now, I can't, despair is my future and my children will live their lives as orphans, and I have no education and I have never worked in my life." She talks in despair."

"I can't concentrate any more", Sohad told us. "I'm thinking about my sons' lives and their well being; we barely making enough money to survive and we don't have any additional source of income. No one has helped me before; Human Concern International is the first sign of hope I see now. I'm so happy with all the help I received from you, as my children need help and care. I'm relieved because I know that my children will eat for at least 10 days - thanks to you, so please don't forget us."

I left Sohad and her sons taking the food and the hygiene items out of the box, while the children are choosing their dinner for the night. This is one of the many stories that Gaza unfolds these days. It might not be one of its most painful stories, but still it requires that we think about the future of people such as Sohad and her sons and the kind of future they might have without our help.

(This story is part of a series of personal stories, compiled by Eman Khader, depicting the state of despair and hope seen in Gaza today. They have been compiled by HCI personnel during HCI's relief and development work in the worst-hit areas in and around Gaza City. Through an at-home-needs assessment and extensive outreach activities each family received a parcel consisting of 27 food and hygiene items which were put together in partnership with HCI's local partner in Gaza, The Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer Patients and their Families. Forty-eight local volunteers are helping make this project possible.)

From the Hay Al-Zaytoun in Gaza comes the humanitarian story of Hussam Sa'eed Abu-Warda

In Gaza, life has lost all taste and colour, everyday looks just like the other. Those were Hussam's first words when approached by HCI for assistance. Hussam, a former public servant, lost his job in 2007 and has not been able to find work since. Today, his days consist of watching TV for hours in hope that a cease-fire agreement or the like would finally bring an end to the ongoing dramatic events in the Gaza Strip.

Hussam and his and family live in Hay Al-Zaytoun, one of the worst-hit areas during the Israeli war on Gaza. Between on-going shooting and phosphoric bombs, days and nights were lost in a perpetual cycle of terror and fear.

To use the words of Hussam's eldest daughter, 11-year old Rowan- "we were all scared to death. We would never sleep and when the bombings intensified we would hold each other and pray, so in case we die we would die together, with nothing and no one to separate us." Rowan's siblings, Ahmed, Mohamed, Sa'eed and Dua', were telling of the same terror and fear they experienced. They spoke of the days when they were deprived of water, electricity and sometimes food and their complete oblivion to time. Their days were all the same, full of fear and apprehension.

While still employed Hussam's monthly income was still insufficient to even secure food. In addition Rowan and her two brothers Ahmed and Sa'eed have suffered from a heart condition since birth. Several years ago, they underwent a number of surgeries in one of Jerusalem's hospitals but still require constant medical attention and a healthy nutritious diet.

Despite the poverty and deprivation this family suffers from, its members remain cheerful, always smiling. Poverty has not stopped them from leading a happy life in their very modest yet clean home. Their story is that of a thousand other poor families in Gaza that continue to smile despite their loss and pain.

11-year old Rowan insisted that we take a video of her thanking HCI for its generous assistance at a time when the economic crisis in Gaza worsens and most families are finding themselves in danger of living under the poverty line. The other children were running about happily trying to appear in all pictures, mainly because they were happy to finally not have to split three boiled eggs amongst the five of them.

Hussam's wife, Suha, was discussing how it is impossible for them to purchase any meat or chicken because of the soaring prices. "A kilo of meat is approximately $20 while a kilo of chicken costs $6. Also, cooking gas is not available so I end up using wood to cook tomatoes and other very basic meals which are cheaper and more economical." The parcel offered by HCI, she added, will secure food for the family for at least one whole week. "I was always optimistic even throughout the most difficult times, because I knew that despite the siege and the war someone would eventually come knocking on my door- those people who did not forget us, who did not forget Gaza."

(This story is part of a series of personal stories, compiled by Eman Khader, depicting the state of despair and hope seen in Gaza today. They have been compiled by HCI personnel during HCI's relief and development work in the worst-hit areas in and around Gaza City. Through an at-home-needs assessment and extensive outreach activities each family received a parcel consisting of 27 food and hygiene items which were put together in partnership with HCI's local partner in Gaza, The Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer Patients and their Families. Forty-eight local volunteers are helping make this project possible.)

Post-Conflict Recovery for Gaza: Quick Impact Programs Assisting Gazans to Rebuild Their Lives

As the fighting in Gaza subsidies, people have been venturing out to discover what is left of their lives. For many, the rubble reveals only further pain and despair. Civilians are no longer only concerned with mere survival, but they are now trying to come to terms with their loss.

"A number of areas inside Gaza City look like the aftermath of a strong earthquake where entire neighborhoods are beyond recognition. Some houses have been either completely leveled or badly damaged that it would be too dangerous to move back in," reported Eman Khader, Director of HCI's local partner NGO inside Gaza City. "For many families, everything they had worked for or achieved all their life had been destroyed. Their houses have been leveled or badly damaged; their orchards of olive, citrus, palm trees, fisheries, livestock or other forms of productive resources have been lost. They have lost everything," she concluded.

Needs and damage assessments are still underway. The twenty-two days of conflict left over 1,300 Palestinians dead, over 5,300 injured, and caused extensive damage to commercial enterprises, public infrastructure and agriculture. In addition, the substantial emotional and psychological damage on the population resulting from these hostilities can only be imagined. The humanitarian situation has been dire following the 18-month blockade of the Gaza Strip, where 80 percent of the population was already dependent on aid. Post-conflict conditions can now only be described as calamitous.

Supplies of basic foodstuffs and fuel, and the provision of medical, water and sanitation services remain critical. The long-term implications of this most recent conflict in terms of recovery and development are mounting. The livelihoods and assets of tens of thousands of civilians are being systematically undermined through the destruction of productive resources such as fruit orchards, fisheries, and basic industries.

Families that already lived in fragile conditions prior to the conflict will find themselves today facing a very difficult situation with the loss of the much needed income; most having no savings to make new investments. These dire economic conditions consequently lead to many other problems within the single household affecting health, education and hygiene. Of particular concern is the long-term psychological impact of the conflict on children, who make up 56 percent of the population of Gaza.

HCI and partners have begun assessing the immediate needs of the population in Gaza, particularly people located in Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip, which were among the areas most affected by the three weeks of hostilities. A post-conflict emergency and recovery plan has been drafted by HCI and its partners to be implemented immediately. The plan includes interventions related to emergency assistance for the vulnerable segments of the population, particularly women, elders and children people with special needs; people who have been internally displaced or lost their homes; and families who have lost their breadwinner.

HCI is currently focusing on re-establishing basic services, such as health, education, household economic revival, and psychosocial support including the provision of food and non-food supplies.

Food and Non-food Distributions

The number of truckloads of aid permitted to enter Gaza daily by the Israeli authorities remains inadequate, and humanitarian organizations, including HCI, continue to face serious restrictions in entering Gaza.

Despite the shortage of many supplies inside Gaza, some basic food and non-food necessities are becoming available in the market inside the Strip, which are imported by Gaza-based commercial suppliers. Due to price increases and the lack of currency, however, most Gazans are not able to acquire these necessities. Furthermore, the destruction of agricultural fields means that most Gazans dependent on farming for their living can no longer secure these basic food items.

As result, HCI prepared parcels containing food and hygiene items inside Gaza to be distributed to thousands of needy Gazans inside the Strip. Each package consists of 27 items which include food items such as flour, rice, meat cans, cooking oil, powder milk for children, sugar, lentil, pasta, cheese, jam, olive oil, tea, etc, as well hygiene supplies, such as washing soap, detergents, medical powder for infants, towels and cotton. The latest distribution will commence on Saturday, February 7, which will be targeting four neighborhoods inside the Gaza City. This distribution is implemented by the HCI partner in Gaza, the Aid & Hope Center for the Care of Cancer Patients and Their Families, made up of 48 volunteers.

"Families living in the El-Zaytoun, Shoujaiya and Tal El-Hawa neighborhoods in Gaza City, as well as at the Al-Shatia Camp on the periphery of the city will benefit from those distributions. Over a span of two weeks we profiled thousands of families in those four areas who are in dire need of support." Mme Khader explained. "Today, I visited a two-room house hosting 49 persons, the majority of them have lost their homes during the military operation," she added, telling of stories of destruction and devastation witnessed in Gaza today, a human tragedy which continues to be silenced; perhaps the loudest silence in the world.

Dispatched Aid Trucks

During the 18-month blockade on Gaza, HCI dispatched trucks loaded with basic commodities to Gaza by land. Last November, two trucks loaded with parcels of food supplies were dispatched to Gaza by land with the help of HCI's partner in Jordan, the Hashemite Charity Organization. The Hashemite Charity Organization assisted in the preparation of the trucks inside Jordan and transported them to Gaza by land after acquiring all necessary approvals from the relevant authorities. The trucks crossed the King Hussein Bridge and headed to the West Bank city of Jericho, before continuing their journey to the Karem Shalom border crossing in Gaza.

During the Israeli military operation, HCI dispatched additional trucks in partnership with the Hashemite Charity Organization. The latest dispatched trucks were loaded with 13 tons of tuna, sardine and meat cans which were distributed to needy families through UNRWA's distribution centers. Food cans are high in nutrition, easy to store and require no refrigerator, since there is no electricity in many parts of Gaza.

The Hashemite Charity Organization was one of the few organizations allowed to dispatch trucks to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom border crossing south of the Strip. The Kerem Shalom border crossing was partially open during the military operation, allowing an average of 50 trucks per day to enter Gaza. The supplies were then handed over to UNRWA to be distributed inside the Strip though UNRWA's ten distribution centers. The Hashemite Charity Organization dispatched an average of 7 trucks per day to Gaza during the military attack.

Agriculture Industry

According to WFP, between 35-60 percent of the agriculture industry has been damaged by the Israeli military operation. FAO estimates that 13,000 families who depend directly on farming, herding and fishing have suffered significant damage to their livelihoods.

HCI's post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation plan includes a livelihood support project for farmers, which will help hardest-hit farming families to recover their losses and resume their production activities. The first of these is an attempt to equip widows and at-risk youth with the tools they need to become self-sufficient, earning much needed additional income. The 'Beekeeping for Child Education and Family Income' project seeks to train such individuals in the art of honeymaking. By working with public schools in the area, teachers will impart technical bee-keeping skills to school students in need of additional means of financial support. Honey produced during the training process will fund teacher incomes and will be invested in the school's facilities. HCI will furnish participants with the tools (beehives, bee strains...etc..) they need to start their very own beekeeping farms, small businesses producing quality local honey. The start-up costs for this project are small, and the potential for income is great. The prospective impact such a program will have on local farmers affected by the war is immense.

Local Economic Recovery
With the aim to support post-conflict sustainable livelihoods initiatives in the Gaza Strip, HCI is preparing a comprehensive workshop for HCI partner NGOs working inside the Strip.

Twelve participants identified from among HCI local partner NGOs working inside the Strip will travel to Cairo to participate in the Local Economic Recovery (LER) training workshop organized by HCI. Participants will draft a comprehensive local economic recovery plan to be supported by HCI and other international aid agencies. Quick impact projects/programs aiming to revitalize the economy and eventually lead to sustainable development will be developed.

The training program also aim to strengthen the participating NGOs' operational tools and integrate them within a mainstreamed local economic recovery strategy in the Gaza Strip. Participants will review and analyze different activities and methodologies of supporting livelihoods within the context of local economic recovery approach.

Kindergartens Rehabilitation

In keeping with HCI's past work to increase the availability of quality education in Palestine, a rehabilitation program for community-run kindergartens in Gaza has been developed. These Kindergartens, many of them have been largely damaged during the military operation, are in dire need of rehabilitation/rebuilding, both in the physical (sanitation, heating/air conditioning and ventilation) and theoretical (training, psychological teaching approaches) sense.

The 'Brining Hope to Palestinian Pre-school Children' kindergarten rehabilitation program will not only provide financial gains for new female teachers and parents returning to the work force, it will also provide children with a much needed distraction from the deteriorating circumstances in the Strip. These children will be exposed to a rich educational environment that will serve as a haven from the chaos, destruction and poverty of settlement life.

The Kindergartens will be provided with much needed educational materials and toys, as well as playgrounds. Teachers will be given educational training grounded in solid psychological methodology. New job openings will be created for tens of female instructors. Enrolment in kindergarten programs is expected to increase as a result of the availability of well-equipped kindergartens with strong curriculums and skilled teachers. Parents who enroll their children will be able to return to part or full time jobs, thus increasing their household income.

Since 2004, 3,854 children attending 34 kindergartens in the West Bank have benefited from similar program implemented by HCI through the rehabilitation of kindergartens as well as the provision of dairy supplements, nutrition items along with basic school supplies.

Health

A $1.8 million medical aid package has been put together by HCI with the help of Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), to treat the sick, injured and malnourished. It will be coordinated through UNRWA and WHO inside Gaza. The shipment is scheduled to arrive to Aqaba port in Jordan in the coming 10 days, and which will be shipped by land to Gaza.

The shipment include medicines such as antibiotics, high-blood pressure and diabetes medicines, aspirin, blood clots, rheumatoid arthritis, , injectable anticoagulant, asthma and allergy, ulcers, and other medicines. The shipment also include large quantity of medical supplies such as needles and syringes, sharps containers, wound care, enteral feeding, blood collection, suction, electrodes, dialysis/vascular access, vascular therapy, sutures, and others.

In 2007, similar shipment of medications was sent to Gaza and the West Bank, were 60% of the designated items went to Gaza to the higher health committee of coordination, a body represented by both NGOs and community leaders to examine the health needs of people in Gaza.

Child Sponsorship

HCI's child sponsorship program, which sponsors children from single mother-headed households, will be expanded to include new orphans inside Gaza. HCI has started the screening and the selection of orphans inside Gaza to be included in the scheme. Orphans sponsored by the scheme are individually selected by HCI in partnership with grassroots partners. The sponsorship is given to the orphan and their family to help towards living costs.

HCI's regional child sponsorship program started in Palestine in 2006 by sponsoring 67 orphans. 83 Palestine children are now sponsored through this program.

Support for University Students

In addition to post-conflict relief and rehabilitation work which HCI is committed to and consistently pursuing in Gaza, Gazan students from the Bir Zeit University in the West Bank city of Ramallah are now receiving funds from HCI to contribute towards their living expenses. Despite decades of conflict and destruction, the Palestinian culture continues to hold education as one of the primary assets to an improved and progressive society. In fact, Palestine boasts one of the highest higher-education rates in the Arab region. Education is thus adamantly pursed, despite wars, despite poverty, and in face of all possible obstacles.

These young women and men have left their families behind in Gaza to pursue their education at the University of Bir Zeit in Ramallah but are now bearing the brunt of more devastation and destruction that has fallen upon their homes, their families, and their relatives in the Gaza strip. Not only have they been unable to reach or communicate with their families to ensure their safety but they themselves have lost all source of income and are now incapable of either financing their education or sustaining a living in Ramallah.

As a result, the University offered to waver some of the tuition payments for some of these Gazan students and HCI came in to provide the much needed sponsorship which would contribute towards the students living expenses. "Education goes beyond literacy; it is a capability which can ensure opportunity and HCI is continuing to support and motivate those who need it most", commented Sara Barakat, HCI's coordinator in the West Bank and the director of the local NGO, the Vocational & Rehabilitation Workshops for Girls in Gaza and the West Bank.