Desperation deepens in northern Gaza as Palestinians await aid amidst Israeli attacks

Record ID: 1941110

  • Title: Desperation deepens in northern Gaza as Palestinians await aid amidst Israeli attacks
  • Date: 26th January 2024
  • Summary: SHOTLIST: GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE (JANUARY 26, 2024) (AAVN- ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS WAITING FOR AID TRUCKS AROUND KUWAIT JUNCTION IN RAFAH/ SERIOUSLY DAMAGED ROADS AND BUILDINGS BEING SEEN AFTER ISRAELI STRIKES 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN MAN WHO SEEKS HUMANITARIAN AID, SAYING: “Honestly, the only thing that brought us here is hunger. Yesterday, more than 25-30 people were martyred and soldiers were lying on the ground. I was lucky yesterday when I went out, my neighbor was injured by the army and I was coming from Tafaah. I went 3 kilometers to get just for a bag of flour or a small carton of aid. But thank God, there was nothing yesterday or today, and I hope something will come. We hear from people that there is something today in Beit Hanina, but we are all sitting at home, waiting. We hope that some flour will come, but we are disappointed. This is what brings us here. Honestly, it is very dangerous. We are less than a kilometer away from the Jews, and we are waiting to see what comes out of our hands. We are just like the other people. We are buying fodder and barley for our children. By God, we are not eating anything. We are just feeding our children with whatever we can find. It is a very difficult life. By God, rice is missing. A kilo of rice costs 25 shekels. We are living on lentils. They say that lentils will also be scarce, and there will be nothing left. Only God knows what will happen to us. I go home and I don't know what to find. I don't know what to eat for dinner, lunch, or breakfast for my children. We are just managing somehow. Thank God, we are able to buy bread from the streets. We are buying and managing them. Thank God for this. A difficult life, and the rice is really missed. A kilo of rice is twenty-five shekels, and we're living on barley. They promised us barley, and even the barley exploded. No God but our Lord, who teaches us."" 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ANOTHER DISPLACED PALESTINIAN MAN, SAYING: "The quantity here is not enough; even when it's supposed to reach the north, it doesn't manage to get there. The people here take it, and it doesn't all get distributed; it goes wherever it wants. It's a shame; they don't take anything themselves; they come and take it freely. The quantity that is distributed is not sufficient. The danger, I mean, the famine, has overshadowed the danger. People are so hungry that they have forgotten the danger to the point that we fear death while awake due to hunger. Yesterday, people thought an attack was happening; they threw peels at them. They didn't tell us there were trucks coming in a day because we have been waiting for a week going and coming, and we don't receive anything. If it doesn't come, they crush us. They came, and by the grace of God, they entered. We go empty-handed like every day. Let the children eat; God help us. Assist the north; we don't know what they're facing. Clarify for them; assist the north. Those of us here are suffering, so what about those in the north? May God be their support, as they have no one but God. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs. Woe to those who caused this situation. May God hold them accountable." 4. VARIOUS SHOTS OF PALESTINIANS WAITING FOR AID TRUCKS 5. VARIOUS SHOTS OF PALESTINIANS RUNNING TOWARD HUMANITARIAN AID TRUCKS AAVN SCRIPT: In the besieged Gaza Strip on Friday, Palestinians anxiously awaited humanitarian aid trucks, hoping for relief after an attack by the Israeli army targeted those seeking assistance at the Kuwait Junction. The incident, which occurred the previous day, left more than 25-30 people dead, with soldiers lying on the ground. An eyewitness, who had been waiting for food aid, recounted the dire situation, stating that hunger was the driving force behind their desperation. He shared a harrowing experience of their neighbor being injured by the army while they were fortunate to escape unharmed. Desperation drove them to travel 3 kilometers, risking their safety, just to obtain a bag of flour or a small carton of aid. However, despite the efforts, nothing had arrived yet, leaving them in anticipation and uncertainty. Reports of aid distribution in Beit Hanina surfaced, but the disappointment loomed as the promised relief failed to materialize. The dangerous proximity to conflict added to their distress, being less than a kilometer away from Israeli forces. The struggle for survival led them to purchase fodder and barley for their children, with the narrator expressing that they were barely eating anything themselves. “We are just like the other people. We are buying fodder and barley for our children. By God, we are not eating anything. We are just feeding our children with whatever we can find. It is a very difficult life,” he expressed. The high cost of essential items, such as rice, further exacerbated their predicament. A kilo of rice priced at 25 shekels was beyond reach, forcing them to rely on lentils and whatever meager resources they could find. The dire conditions had pushed them to a point where the fear of death from hunger surpassed the immediate dangers posed by the conflict. Another Palestinian man shared their frustration about aid distribution, emphasizing that even when aid was supposed to reach the north, it often failed to do so. The quantity received was inadequate, and there were claims of mismanagement in the distribution process. The scarcity of resources and the overshadowing famine had created an environment where people were willing to go to great lengths, even risking their lives, to secure basic necessities. “The danger, I mean, the famine, has overshadowed the danger. People are so hungry that they have forgotten the danger to the point that we fear death while awake due to hunger,” he said. As the desperation continued, the individual called for assistance for those in the north, highlighting the challenges faced by the entire region. The plea for clarification and support underscored the severity of the situation, with the hope that international aid and awareness could alleviate the suffering of those affected. The relentless military actions have left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced, grappling with acute shortages of essential resources like food, clean water, and medicine. The United Nations indicates that 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
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  • Copyright Holder: Anadolu Agency
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