Children of Gaza: We eat one meal a day and drink polluted salt water Lifestyle

A Palestinian child survivor talks about his last moments with his family before the occupation bombed their home in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, saying, “We were sitting having dinner and the missile came down on us.”

He continues with pain and the effects of the bombing clearly visible on him, “We were at the table and my sister was talking with my uncle and smiling. I heard the sound of the missile and thought it was at a second (another) house. I put my hand on my head and bore witness; I bear witness that there is no god but God…”

Thus, the child not only lost his only daily meal, but also lost his siblings, who he said were “the problem is they are all young…they are all young,” he lost his family, and he also lost his home.

One meal a day consists of cheese and thyme. This is all that Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip can eat due to the stifling siege imposed on them by Israel, in conjunction with its devastating bombing of their homes.

This war, which has been going on for 19 days, has caused a great scarcity of food, water, and flour, which has doubled the humanitarian suffering that the residents of the Gaza Strip are already experiencing due to the ongoing Israeli siege since 2006.

All the Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip dream of is for the devastating Israeli war to end, for them to live in peace, and for them to have food and drink without suffering.

Salty and polluted water

Children sometimes walk tens of kilometers in order to save a little water to drink (despite its saltiness), in light of the scarcity of water after Israel cut it off from the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip says that its residents drink contaminated water, which has led to cases of diarrhea among children in shelter centers housing thousands of Palestinians.

On October 9, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant decided to impose a “comprehensive siege” on Gaza, declaring that “no electricity, food, water, or fuel (will reach the Strip),” according to what was reported by Israeli Channel 13.

Abdul Latif Bakr (11 years old) told Anadolu Agency, “We have no water or food. We suffer from access to drinking water, and even if we do get it, we find it salty.”

He added, “We prepare bread on a carton and a little firewood. There is no gas for cooking, there is nothing to eat, only thyme (powder) and dukkah (wheat flour with some spices added to it), and we eat only one meal a day.”

This Palestinian child longs to eat food that contains some meat or chicken, and he also hopes that the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip will end.

He says, “Our house was damaged by the bombing – carried out daily by Israeli fighters – I wish I could go back to playing with my friends, but the bombing, destruction, and demolition of homes are everywhere.”

Abdul Latif Bakr’s family lacks the minimum necessities of life. They have no water, food, or bedding, and they cannot provide food and water continuously, as their money has run out.

Majdi Al-Hassi (12 years old) told Anatolia, “Life is difficult when we collect cartons and firewood to make bread over the fire.”

He added, “The Israeli occupation has destroyed us. We have no water, no electricity, and no food. We eat thyme, cheese, and chili (mashed hot pepper) due to lack of food. There is no chicken or meat, and we eat only once a day.”

Magdy wished that “the war would end so that he could eat his favorite meal, which is fish,” he says, noting that “they travel long distances to get some water.”

The child, Majdi, dreams that the war will end, that he will not lose any of his friends or loved ones, and that he will return to playing and eating whatever he wants.

Bakery crisis

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing a crisis in obtaining bread from bakeries, in light of the scarcity of flour in the Strip due to the Israeli war.

Hundreds of Gazans queue for long hours at the doors of bakeries, of which only a small number work. After many of them were closed due to power and water outages, and the lack of flour.

Bakery owners do not allow more than one kilogram of bread per person, so that the largest amount can be given to families.

While Muhammad Bakr (16 years old) told Anadolu Agency, “We hear the sounds of violent explosions everywhere. Children are dying and women are being killed. Life is difficult.”

He added, “We eat cheese, canned beans, or thyme, but we cannot eat what we wish. We are tired of war, we live in tension, and we could be martyred at any moment.”

Muhammad Bakr hopes “not to lose any of his loved ones or his family as a result of the war, and to live freely and pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The population of Gaza (about 2.2 million Palestinians) suffers from extremely deteriorating living conditions, as a result of an ongoing Israeli siege since 2006.

Last Sunday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) called for the provision of a sustainable supply line with humanitarian aid to avoid a “disaster” in the Gaza Strip.

Director of UNRWA operations in Gaza, Thomas White, said in press statements, “The situation of humanitarian supplies is terrible and very limited, and food and water have become scarce.”

White added, “We need a sustainable supply line of aid to avoid a catastrophe in the Strip.”