On a cold winter night, water seeped into Sabreen Abu Shanab’s worn-out tent in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.
The mother was sleeping with her three children when the wind blew and rain fell on the tent. Sabreen woke up in the middle of the night to find her children wet to their underwear.
The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was enough to flood the tent and soak the covers and clothes.
Sabreen tried hard to dry her children’s clothes and provide them with some warmth, but she found only a few covers that were not sufficient to face the extreme cold.
She was not the only mother in her suffering, but rather many other families living in the same difficult circumstances.
The children tried to collect water in buckets to keep it away from their tents, while the adults worked to repair what was left of it.
In light of the ongoing war on Gaza, the rains increased the suffering of the displaced.
Despite Israeli statements allowing aid to enter, international relief agencies indicate that Israeli forces are obstructing its arrival, which exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.
Sabreen says, “I suffer from asthma, and using an inhaler is no longer useful because of the cold, rain, and lack of blankets and clothes. I feel helpless and hopeless.”
In these difficult moments, the displaced people in Deir al-Balah find nothing but hope and supplication to God to alleviate their suffering and give them the strength to face these harsh conditions.