Gaza's Widows Overwhelmed by the Hardships of War
(AWP) - In every school that has turned into a shelter for displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, it is common to find widows whose suffering has been exacerbated by the hardships of war while bringing up their children alone.
Before the war, displaced widow Shereen al-Attar was living with her children in a rented home in Jabalia, north of Gaza, after having lost her husband to cancer.
The single mother used to sell food and pastries to provide for her family but the outbreak of war has caused her struggles to multiply.
She says, “My husband died two years and four months ago. Before displacement, I lived in a rented house. I now suffer from a lack of food and water for my children and many other needs they lack. My husband died of cancer.”
Al-Attar added tearfully, “I hope to have a home. I want to return home [to Jabalia], even if it is a rented home. I hope to return there and provide all the needs that their father wanted to provide for them. That’s all I want.”
Randa Nayef al-Harkali is another displaced widow, who is currently staying at the same school shelter as al-Attar and her children in the city of Rafah.
Al-Harkali’s husband was killed during the war that broke out on October 7.
She said, “My husband was martyred during this war. I have three children that I support. We depend on the aid provided by the school to feed my children.”
She explained, “There is no work for me to do here and we only have the aid that we receive from the school. Currently, I am the one who takes care of my children and brings them food, bread, and anything they ask for because my husband was martyred.”
Al-Harkali pleaded with the concerned authorities and organisations to aid her family.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday that the number of those killed in the Israeli war on the Strip had risen to 24,448 with 61,504 wounded.