I HAVE listened to Fidaa Al-Araj’s almost daily audio recordings from Gaza for a month now, but this one felt different.
She spoke of seeing dozens of dead bodies on the streets the very morning of her recording, adding: “Last night was maybe the worst since the beginning of the war.”
And you can hear it in her voice (below, in fourth part of our Diaries from Gaza series). It's more strained than usual. You can feel the sorrow and the pain.
NEW: The National has obtained more audio for the fourth part of our Diaries from Gaza series. 🗣️ 'For the sake of humanity, we need your interventions now’' pic.twitter.com/C2Vrah3wFI
— The National (@ScotNational) November 10, 2023
The Israel-Hamas war is having a devastating toll on people's mental health in Gaza, and particularly children.
A month of relentless bombardment of densely populated civilian areas has exacerbated the already-critical mental health crisis for Gaza’s children, according to charity Save the Children.
And then there’s the dwindling food and water, with desperation setting in for some.
Alhasan Swairjo – who is remaining in Gaza City to stay close to his sisters – said displaced people in his area simply have no food, and he has witnessed looting, including hundreds of men and children attacking a closed supermarket nearby.
He added: “If the city continues to be under blockade and siege, it will collapse in a few days.”
Ahmad Shawa serves as the leader of the Palestinian NGOs Association in Gaza. He said that while those outside Gaza have descriptions and photos, being there is different and called for a ceasefire and the provision of direly needed humanitarian aid.
“For the sake of humanity, we need your interventions and actions now.”
