Eyewitness: Widow writes from Gaza

No place to raise a child: Image Sabeel

Nadia, a young widow with two children lives in a refugee camp in Gaza. Her husband was killed when their family home was bombed by the Israelis two years ago. She writes:

My story is about the suffering of thousands of people in Gaza. Eight years ago I got married and living happily with my husband. We had two children in our small house. Yes life was difficult but it was beautiful I was happy with my husband who work in the field of construction. He provided all the needs of the house and our children. Unfortunately all that ended because of the Israeli occupation two years ago. Our house was bombed and my husband died in the house. Since that time I have been living in sadness and pain, because of the loss of my husband and my house, because of the war.

I went to live with my children in my mother's house, and took care of my sick mother. Because we have no breadwinner, in Gaza we are given milk, wheat and sugar from UNRWA once every three months. That is really only enough for one month. Because I have children I do not work. (At around 50% Gaza has one of the highest unemployment levels in the world).

All I care about is keeping my children and educating them. Life in Gaza is painful. I live in a small house in this refugee camp. Electricity comes only four hours a day. Water does not come continuously.

Winters are painful and harsh, the house is cold, and there is no heating. In all honesty, sometimes we sleep without food. Yes, that is true. Every few months a new war takes place in Gaza, and children are exposed to fear and psychological trauma due to explosions from Israeli planes.

I have good neighbours and women friends. Sometimes they help my children and bring food to our house because they know that I am a widow and we have no breadwinner.

My son is now in the first grade, and my daughter is in kindergarten. My mother is sick, and she goes to the hospital constantly. Medical care in Gaza is very bad. There is free care, but medicines are expensive - not free. In the summer we go down to the sea to breathe air and the children play on beach.

I am a Muslim. I believe that God Almighty will improve the situation, and that what we live in Gaza is a trial from God, and we must be patient until the situation improves.

I hope that the occupation ends soon, and that Palestine becomes an independent state, and that my children grow up and that we have a breadwinner to help us. Unfortunately, the Western world only stands by Ukraine, and no one stands by Palestine. This is my story in a nutshell.