Deir el-Balah, Gaza – On a cold night three weeks ago, Aida al-Baawi rushed from the makeshift tent she had set up to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and , in the midst of the ongoing war, gave birth to her daughter.
The birth was difficult due to a lack of medical staff to care for her and a lack of anesthesia to mask the pain from the stitches.
Her baby girl was born healthy and a whole new struggle began for al-Baawi, 29, as she began searching endlessly for a necessity that many mothers take for granted: diapers.
Obtaining diapers has become the most daunting challenge for al-Baawi, as for many mothers in Gaza, as prices skyrocket for items made scarce by the Israeli-imposed siege.
“Every day it’s a struggle to be able to buy diapers for my little girl, especially with another child who still needs them,” the mother of four told Tel Aviv Tribune.
For al-Baawi, buying two packs of diapers before the war would have cost less than $10, but that is no longer the case.
“Imagine needing $75 to $80 just for diapers,” she said. “Is this a sustainable situation?
Al-Baawi had to turn to other solutions. Sometimes she goes to a nursery at a nearby hospital, hoping they will have some in stock.
Other times, she dries used diapers in the sun, hoping to reuse them despite the hygiene implications.
And sometimes she’s forced to leave her baby in his dirty diaper until she can have more, which inevitably takes a toll on the baby’s delicate skin.
But every penny al-Baawi spends on diapers means a penny less for other necessities. “If diapers are so expensive, how can I afford other supplies?” My kids and I have only had one meal since last night.
“I can’t even buy food”
Needless to say, where diapers are scarce, formula will be too.
Nariman Abu al-Saud gave birth to a daughter on October 9, two days after the start of the war.
“At current prices, I can’t even buy food for my children,” she said.
“My little girl has terrible skin infections because I can’t have diapers,” she said. “There’s not even baby formula.”
“Providing milk and diapers has become hell for us.
“This war is a war against our children and their lives. What did they do to endure such conditions?
With the vast majority of Gaza’s population displaced and desperately needed aid trickling in, health officials report that 20 people in the enclave have died of malnutrition and dehydration .
The World Food Program said Tuesday that Israel must allow road access to northern Gaza to avoid famine, underscoring how desperate the situation is.
Search for substitutes
People were pushed to try alternatives to rare diapers.
Local factories manufacture diaper substitutes using available raw materials, such as tissue paper, medical cotton, cloth and nylon.
Yousef Darwish, a worker who makes diapers, explained that the price of locally made diapers is similar to that before the war.
“There is a lot of demand from families even though these diapers are not as good…and are not made to health specifications,” Darwish said.
But even this alternative may not last, as raw materials are dwindling, Darwish pointed out.
“We are depleting our existing supplies, and with the borders closed since the start of the war, these resources are about to run out,” he said, referring to the severe limits imposed by Israel on the entry of aid into Gaza.
“We are always looking for solutions from scratch in Gaza. But how much longer can mothers and children endure the scarcity and inflated prices of diapers? The situation has become unbearable.
Shaima Shinar, who gave birth to her first child during the war, also had to look for alternatives. Her mother-in-law cuts up clothes to make them into diapers.
“I have no choice. It’s not easy because the fabric is not comfortable, it causes irritation and skin abrasions,” she told Tel Aviv Tribune. “I also have to wash constantly.As you can see we live in a tent and there is no water.
Shinar fled Gaza City to Deir el-Balah to escape the fighting. She had made a short visit to Egypt just two weeks before the conflict began, unaware that the timing of her return would be disastrous for her and her unborn child.
“I never imagined in my life that my child would be born in such conditions,” Shinar said. “How can I not be able to provide diapers for my child? Not being able to put him in a bed and a clean place instead of this cold tent?
“My child is suffering in every way,” she added. “Currently he has a cold and I can’t buy medicine, and there are no clothes or diapers.”
The new mother explained that she often wanders between institutions in search of help, but to no avail.
“Yesterday my baby ran out of milk. I went to one of the tents to get two spoons of milk to satisfy his hunger.
“We adults can handle it, but what about the kids?
