NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- Israel has been attacking the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands and displacing millions multiple times. The Palestinians face difficulties in providing even clean water and food. Since Israeli forces target even hospitals, the Palestinians cannot have access to health services.

The situation of the people with disabilities is much worse; they have to struggle more to overcome the challenges caused by the war and displacement. Women with disabilities in shelter centers face much more challenges. The story of Sumaya Madi, one of these women, reveals what women with disabilities face in shelter centers.

 She had to make a decision

Sumaya Madi was living in Beit Lahia, a city in northern Gaza when the Israeli army ordered them to evacuate the city. Since Sumaya Madi cannot walk and needs a wheelchair to move, she did not want to leave her home because she knew that the journey to another place would be more challenging for her. However, the intensified bombardment forced her to leave her house. “I did not know how to get out of the rubble, how to move through the rubble with the wheelchair,” she told NuJINHA. Then, she had to make a decision between risking her life and dying by being trapped under the rubble.

She felt helpless

Sumaya Madi traveled a long distance in her wheelchair with her family amidst Israeli attacks. “When we reached the shelter center, we were shocked because there were no humanitarian aid organizations. I saw hundreds of people waiting for aid. There was chaos.”

Sumaya Madi felt helpless when they could not find a tent in the center. “My sister is also a person with a disability. As the people with disabilities, we face significant challenges in shelter centers due to the lack of appropriate care and services. The inhumane conditions in the centers deprive us of our rights.”

‘Take urgent action’

People with disabilities in Gaza struggle to survive due to the inhumane conditions and social isolation in centers. Women and girls taking shelter in the centers demand their special needs be taken into consideration and an end to the war. “Even the bathrooms in the centers are not suitable for the people with disabilities,” said Sumaya Madi. “Women with disabilities do not have a space to meet their needs and privacy.”

Displaced Palestinians taking shelters in the centers call on international humanitarian aid organizations to “take an urgent action” for the women and girls with disabilities. Sumaya Madi also called on the international organizations to “take an urgent action to end the painful experiences of people with disabilities.”