RAFIF ESLEEM

Gaza- Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have displaced millions. The displaced people of Gaza living in shelter centers face many challenges, especially the lack of food and water.

“Women and children suffer most in war,” said Palestinian activist Afaf Mehdi. “Before the famine in the south, women collected large amounts of pulses and conserved vegetables for consumption in times of crisis; however, they ran out within a month. Some types of food are available in markets but they are too expensive to buy.”

They wait in lines for hours to get a meal

Pointing to the rise in flour prices, she said, “The price of a 25 kg flour bag was two dollars but it is now 100 dollars. People generally consume lentils. Charities deliver free meals. People wait in lines for hours to get a meal. Women endure all the difficulties to get a meal for their children. They face the same difficulties at the bakeries in the Gaza Strip.”

Thousands of babies are malnourished

Palestinian women face more difficult living conditions in winter, Afaf Mehdi emphasized, adding: “The displaced people face another winter without clothes and blankets. Thousands of babies are malnourished due to the lack of formula. Thousands of babies are at the risk of dying from malnutrition. For a long time, mothers have not been able to find nappies for their children.”

 The people in the southern and northern Gaza Strip tried to boycott the products sold by merchants at high prices in local markets. “However, they failed because they need these products to survive.”