Diary of Fatima: Model of Humanitarian Work under Destruction and War in Gaza

Gaza Strip- The war against Gaza since October 2023 has changed the entire life of Fatima and other humanitarian workers. She has constant feelings of uncertainty and worries about her work, children, food, safety and well-being. Fatima wakes up every morning to start thinking of how to reach work and women she serves through her organization which is ActionAid ‘s partner Alianza por la Solidaridad (ApS). 

Performing work duties and reaching work locations for Fatima are not easy amid rubbles and destruction. Fatima says: “I walk in crowded roads marked by destruction and despair. I see the rubble everywhere from bombed-out buildings litters the roadsides, tents and makeshift shelters dot the landscape for the displaced who have nowhere else to go”.

The starvation and blockade of aid have changed the lives of Gazans, and this change is impacting the well-being of humanitarian aid workers. Fatima highlights one of the examples: “you see queues everywhere in Gaza where people are queuing for food, for water, for medical care to survive. This is the most painful scene reflecting devastation and desperation, where each place points to the painful impacts of this war”.

Fatima continues: “My work at APS allows me to meet with women, girls, children and families where I witness firsthand the suffering of women and children. I have listened to many horrific stories of women. Each story reflects the pains caused by displacement and shortage of everything from shelter, food, water, lack of privacy forcing women to make difficult decisions about how to share limited quantities of food and resources. In some cases, they are running out of alternatives for food and sanitation pads”.

Delivering and coordinating humanitarian is extremely difficult under conditions of war. Fatima says: “as humanitarian aid workers, I spent my day working and coordinating with partners on delivery of our much much-needed assistance to our community and women. Every task is met with its own set of challenges – shortages of essential supplies, impassable roads, and the constant threat of bombing are just a few of the obstacles that we must overcome to reach those in need”.

There are massive humanitarian needs in Gaza which cannot fully be addressed under ongoing war, aid blockades and movement restrictions.  Fatima says: As humanitarian workers, we strive to contribute— even if it is simple—to meet the urgent needs of the people in Gaza. However, there is still so much more to be done, as the number of those in need is huge, the demands are growing, and the catastrophic situation continues to worsen day by day”. 

Survival in Gaza is a continuous and impossible struggle for people of Gaza who are worried about addressing the needs of their children. Fatima said, “lack of essential food items has psychological impact on us and our children as we continue thinking of how to secure meals and food for our families and children everyday”.

It is very hard for Fatima to balance war, work and personal life under war as she continues paying a heavy price for this war by loss, family separation, and displacement. Fatima said: “we have lost of our beloved people and friends and colleagues. In all aspects, there are no words to describe what we are experiencing unfortunately, what we are suffering will remain in our hearts and in our minds and minds of our children for hundreds of years”.

Fatima can’t receive the family support from her family members as the war separated family members, relatives and friends from each other. Fatima says: “the war separated us from our family members and colleagues. It is too dangerous to visit our loved ones as they were displaced and scattered across different areas. I personally haven’t seen my sisters and brothers for months. We cannot meet although we live short distances due to the constant threat of bombing. We communicate through mobile communication, and we can’t sometimes communicate when telecommunication services are disrupted. We miss family occasions and gatherings as mother day,Eid gathers and Ramdan iftars.” 

ApS and ActionAid teams in Gaza are one of the first teams on the ground in Gaza responding to increasing humanitarian needs and ongoing emergency.  ActionAid and ApS remain one of the international organisations working to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza.  ApS and ActionAid worked with its local partners to distribute hygiene kits, clothes, mattresses, blankets, food and protection services for women.

About ActionAid International

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people across more than 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a just and sustainable world where every individual enjoys the right to a dignified life and freedom, a world free from poverty and oppression. We work towards social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication.

ActionAid Palestine began operations in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs engaging Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civic and political participation to understand their rights and engage collectively in addressing rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. It also seeks to improve their leadership capacities and citizenship practice by holding authorities and other responsible parties accountable.

For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy Officer, ActionAid Palestine
Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org