In the heart of Gaza, mothers face unimaginable challenges as they venture into perilous territories in search of food for their families. Amidst a backdrop of conflict and scarcity, women like Um Khader and Um Bilal traverse war-torn streets, evading gunfire and dealing with extreme fatigue to secure essential supplies. Their harrowing experiences shine a light on the acute crisis families continue to face, with humanitarian assistance still relatively minuscule.
Um Khader, one of the mothers battling for survival, has faced life-threatening situations while attempting to obtain food from United Nations trucks or local aid distribution sites. She describes the most harrowing experience when a projectile just barely missed her head, an illustration of how every second of her life was spent in peril. “The American aid points are death zones. Orvis cabin I was able to reach one, so I stayed the night there, too. A sniper fired above my head. The bullet grazed past me by just a few centimeters,” she recalled.
Um Khader’s battles reflect those of every person in her community. Despite the danger, Um Bilal still goes for assistance, sometimes coming home with nothing. She recently lost her husband in an Israeli airstrike. Now, she has to raise her kids entirely by herself in the midst of one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. Dalia, her ten-year-old daughter, expressed her fears for her mother’s safety. She was saying, ‘My mother is different from the young boys; my mother goes and she comes back with nothing.
The Perils of Finding Aid
The road for food in Gaza is becoming increasingly dangerous. Mothers like Um El-Abed, who has eight children to care for, attempt to retrieve supplies at night while their children sleep, hoping to avoid confrontation. The long hikes are getting more difficult, indicative of the chilling reality of worsening conditions. A year ago, we all found ways to adapt to these burdens. Now it’s famine upon famine, and our bodies literally cannot handle that, said Um Bilal with approval.
It is indeed a sad state of affairs. In just the month of July, reports indicate that sixty-three people—of which 25 were children under five—starved to death. The World Health Organization highlights that over 11,500 children sought treatment for malnutrition in Gaza’s struggling healthcare facilities during June and July. Almost one in five children are in the midst of an emergency-level burden of severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of malnutrition.
Through dreams, heartbreak, laughter, and the sweat of living in a Gaza City displacement camp, Um Khader and Um Bilal become unlikely friends. Now, their friendship has become a lifeline. To help feed her five children, Um Bilal even gifted Um Khader a large sack of flour. Especially in a world where food is not always plentiful, these small acts of kindness highlight both the hope and togetherness carried by these mothers.
The Impact on Families
Even worse than the emotional toll these women pay is that it’s accompanied by their children’s constant and legitimate fear for their safety. Um El-Abed’s three children plead with her not to go outside. They worry about what she will face if she leaves the neighborhood to get something to eat. “My children tell me: ‘Don’t go, Mama, don’t go to the aid centers, we don’t want you to die, Mama. Who will take care of us if something happens to you?’” she shared.
Another recently postpartum mother, Maryam, takes the same deadly journey on a daily basis. Though she is tired and more vulnerable than since giving birth, she is still focused on finding enough nutritious food to feed her three other children. Though her persistence is commendable, it highlights the intense burdens placed on mothers when disaster strikes.
Taken together, the stories of these mothers read like a prediction from a cruel fortune teller foretold. Every mealtime turns into a daily struggle for survival, and every trip to school turns into a life-threatening ordeal. They struggle through turmoil and desperation, doing their best to keep their families safe and fed in the face of overwhelming odds.
The Broader Humanitarian Crisis
The civilian plight in Gaza is deeper than personal narratives. It’s a communal experience worsened by our support of the current violence. Impact Reports indicate that nothing in the environment around these mothers is not a threat. Whether it’s thieves, Israeli soldiers, rockets, or drones—they all make going to the grocery store anything but a mundane task. It’s hard for us to live; everything around us is a danger to our lives,” Um Khader said.
Even as conflict remains, Gaza still hasn’t recovered from an overwhelming level of food insecurity. The international community watches closely as local organizations strive to provide assistance amidst immense challenges. While the demand for long-term rebuilding is important, the need for immediate intervention is still pressing as families still suffer from famine and violence.
