As part of our Voices from Gaza series (that includes both filmed and written accounts from inside Gaza) we hear from Sherine this week. Sherine works in our Orphan and Child Welfare Team working out of the Human Appeal Gaza office. She is a mother of four children and used to live in Gaza city.
"I lived in one of the areas that was ordered to be evacuated at the beginning of the war. The building where I lived was identified as a potential target on the third day of the war, and we were asked to evacuate within a few minutes. This happened at 01:30 in the morning.
I left my home with my children wearing only our clothes, as we couldn't take anything from our home. We walked into the streets, unsure of which direction to take, as shelling was underway and there was no clear direction to safety.
I wanted to share my story because it is the same for many other displaced families in Gaza. I, however, consider myself to be fortunate in that my children and I escaped safely that night. Many have not. We of course lost our home and our belongings, but not our lives."
Thousands of families have become refugees in their own city. They have nowhere to go and have no protection from the bombs and the fighting. Families live and sleep on the streets, exposed to the violence and the cold. Thousands of families wandering around in a war zone.
"Our nights are no different to the conditions of all families in Gaza. We sleep, praying to Allah for safety amidst the intensified indiscriminate shelling at night. No matter how hard I try, I can’t begin to convey the horror and terrible living conditions we are currently enduring. Nevertheless, we are patient, and we have full confidence that Allah's relief is near."
We cannot thank you enough for the generosity you have shown so far. But we need to keep up that work and continue the support we all give, together for the Ummah. Thank you.
