Fighting back tears, Umm Maher spoke of the home she left behind in Gaza City.
At 64 years old, Umm Maher holds cherished memories of her home where her six sons (now five after one was killed) and her three daughters often visited with their children as well. All she longs for now is to return home and sleep once more in her own bed. “I lived in a beautiful house with my family, who I tried to protect from the bombing,” she added. “We were forced to flee over and over, leaving behind everything, even personal papers and clothes, hoping to return quickly. But the war drags on, now into its second winter, with no shelter, no clothing, and no beds.”
The last supper
Umm Maher vividly remembers the night their tent was bombed. Unable to bear the sweltering heat inside, they were sitting outside eating what, for some, would become their last supper. “We were eating at the tent’s entrance. I told my children to go inside and rest. Suddenly, a drone appeared and dropped a bomb on us.” Her voice faltered. “They killed my son and grandson. I was injured, and so were two of my other sons, with broken bones and shrapnel wounds.”
Umm Maher still has shrapnel embedded in her hand, which presses against the nerves, causing unrelenting pain. “The doctors can do nothing for me. They have no resources here,” she said. “All I wish is for my sons and I to be treated properly. But with so many injured, care is scarce, and we are left to suffer.”
In Gaza, access to medical treatment is nearly impossible. Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with medical teams stretched to breaking point after a year of relentless bombings which have hit hospitals and other medical facilities.
Not just the injuries
Umm Maher’s pain goes far beyond her shrapnel injuries. Severe joint issues in her legs have forced her to rely on a wheelchair. “Before the war, I could walk,” she shared. “But with the constant displacement, the grief, the tears, and the high blood pressure, I developed clots, leaving me unable to move.”
All we need is a tent
As the war rages on, Umm Maher’s wish is heartbreakingly simple: a tent for her family to call home. She appeals to those who can help. “We need a tent and financial support to manage through these harsh times. God willing, the war will end, life will return, and we’ll go back to our homes, safe and sound.”
“We sleep and wake up in fear,” she said in a final plea. “May the world hear our cries, and may they put an end to this endless bloodshed.” And she repeats, with the smallest glimmer of hope: “We need a tent, a place to live, and peace.”
When you finish a story that was supplied by a partner, you should put a credit at the end of the story, acknowledging the partner’s role in helping to bring this story to life – and recognising that they are working with HelpAge to bring urgent humanitarian assistance to support older people in Gaza / Lebanon.
This story was made possible thanks to the support of HelpAge network member Juzoor for Health and Social Development; a Palestinian non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting health as a basic human right. Together with HelpAge, they are working to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to older people in Gaza.
