Third autumn of conflict: our colleagues in Gaza cope

Two years after the October 7, 2023 attack, 1.9 million Gazans are displaced in unbearable conditions in a strip 41 kilometers long and about ten kilometers wide, only 18% of which is currently accessible. The SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL team, with 20 Gazan colleagues, is struggling to maintain its aid to the most vulnerable, while itself enduring this climax of violence.  

“I constantly worry about my children’s safety and future. We live with fear, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion. But we also support each other, and I try to keep hope alive for my kids.” Before working for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL, Nesma was a teacher in Gaza. Today, she ensures the quality and effectiveness of our programs on the field, and like other civilians in the enclave, she suffers from bombing and deprivation. “Even though I carry a lot of emotional and physical stress as a mother of seven children, my position allows me to support not just my own family, but also other families going through the same suffering. It gives me strength, and sometimes, it’s the only thing that keeps me grounded.” 

Khaled, a community outreach officer for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL in Gaza, agrees: “When you receive an evacuation order, it’s a terrible decision to make. Either you decide to stay at home and endure the bombing, or you leave and go homeless, living on the streets. It’s a very tough decision to make.” Our colleague Heba, a community mobilizer, describes the same dire situation: “There is no food, no medicine, no shelter, not even tents. We are struggling just to find clean water. I hope the war will end one day, but it has already been two years, and every day is harder than the last.” 

Sometimes homeless, sometimes a long way from their workplace and sometimes desperate, our colleagues in Gaza continue their action tirelessly and succeed in helping the most vulnerable members of their community. 

Yet, regardless of our team’s efforts, under the current conditions, without a ceasefire, the level of support needed cannot be provided. A ceasefire must be established, NGOs must be able to operate without constraint and discussions must move forward to achieve lasting peace.