Dire conditions in Gaza, marked by ongoing violence, rodent infestations, and the spread of infectious diseases, are being exacerbated by blockages preventing essential medical supplies from entering the enclave.
‘I Feel Like I’m in Prison’
Umm Ahmad and her family reside in a camp in western Gaza City, having been displaced from Jabalia in the north and forced to move four times. “This tent broke our backs; we can’t even stand up in it. I feel like I’m in prison,” she stated, describing their flimsy makeshift home. Pointing to a bag of bread hanging at the entrance, she added, “We hang food so that it is away from mice. Mice and rodents sleep among us in the tent. This is more difficult suffering than the war itself.”
Water Scarcity Plagues Displaced Families
In a narrow corridor between tents, Umm Ahmad stands before a small counter holding a bowl for washing dishes and cups. Due to scarcity, families resort to manually storing water in plastic containers, quantities insufficient for daily needs. “There is very little water; when it is available, we can clean it. The possibilities are limited, as you can see, and the situation is disgusting. This is the life in tents.”
UN partners on the ground report that access to water remains a significant challenge, with three out of four families dependent on truck deliveries. Humanitarian partners are supplying approximately 24,000 cubic meters of water daily through around 2,000 distribution points. However, these deliveries rely on generators and machinery vulnerable to breakdowns due to a lack of maintenance and repair supplies. Humanitarian organizations continue to emphasize the urgent need for essential supplies to enter Gaza to prevent the collapse of critical equipment.
Life Reduced to Rubble
Seated on a small plastic barrel, Umm Ahmad reminisces about her former spacious home and life: “We used to live in a five-story house equipped with all the necessities of life, with apartments for our children to get married in, but it was destroyed by the war. We had everything; we were living in luxury and suddenly our lives were turned upside down, and we are living in tents. This is our fourth displacement; we have been on the streets for three years now.”
Over two and a half years since Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel, triggering a massive counter-offensive, the cloth tents scattered across Gaza are no longer temporary shelters but a prolonged daily reality for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amidst infrastructure collapse and no clear prospect of returning to destroyed homes.
‘A Life of Humiliation’
Overcome with frustration and sadness, she tells our correspondent: “No matter what I tell you, I can’t describe what life is like in tents. In the winter, the tent was flooded with rain every day, and the wind blew it. We re-erected it, and we couldn’t dry our clothes or mattresses. In the summer, the suffering is even more severe due to mice, other rodents, and insects. It’s a life of humiliation; I can’t take it anymore.”
When asked about privacy in the tents, Umm Ahmad stated, “There is no privacy. We all crowd together in the tent. Now two of my sons are getting married; we are trying to pitch two tents for them, but the space is not enough. You can’t imagine what we’re experiencing. Bathrooms and sanitation are another matter.”
The health situation in the enclave is devastating. 22 attacks on healthcare have been reported in Gaza this year, and barely half of the hospitals are partially functional, with not a single hospital considered fully operational. Umm Ahmad’s demeanor brightened only when her two grandchildren approached her, and she began to comfort them. Where once there was space and abundance, life in the camp is a constant struggle for even the most basic necessities.
