logo
‘Forgotten by the world': Disability deepens sisters' struggle in Gaza

‘Forgotten by the world': Disability deepens sisters' struggle in Gaza

Al Jazeera03-06-2025
Shati refugee camp, Gaza – Inside a stifling tent in Shati, one of Gaza's overcrowded displacement camps, 30-year-old Raneem Abu Al-Eish cares for her sisters, Aseel, 51, and Afaf, 33.
They sit close to Raneem, laughing at times and at others growing agitated when the cries of children playing outside get too loud.
Aseel and Afaf suffer from celiac disease and intellectual disabilities that impair their speech, understanding, and behaviour – conditions that have only deepened under the strain of war and displacement.
They struggle to express themselves, often overwhelmed by their environment, Raneem explains. While she doesn't know the medical term for their condition, the symptoms at times mirror Tourette syndrome.
The cramped tent shelters seven family members: Raneem, her two sisters, their elderly parents, and another sister with her husband.
Raneem's mother is frail, and her father is still recovering from an injury sustained in Israel's relentless war on Gaza, leaving Raneem to shoulder their care alone.
The family used to live in Jabalia camp's Block 2, until Israel destroyed their home eight months ago. Since then, they have moved from relatives' homes to makeshift shelters, then to an overcrowded United Nations school.
Now they are in this tent, which traps sweltering heat by midday and lets the bitter cold seep through its thin walls in the night.
Privacy and dignity are nearly impossible in the crowded tent. 'When they need to change, we try to get the others to step out,' Raneem says. 'But it's not always possible.'
Yet that is only part of the ordeal for Aseel and Afaf, who are bullied daily due to their conditions.
'People don't understand what my sisters go through,' Raneem says softly. 'They judge by appearances, assuming they're fine. But they aren't. They need care, patience, dignity.'
Life in the camp overwhelms Aseel. 'She finds it hard to cope with noise or sudden changes,' Raneem explains. 'When that happens, she gets distressed – she shouts, cries, sometimes lashes out.'
Afaf, meanwhile, struggles with involuntary movements and impulsive behaviours. 'A small argument or loud voice can trigger her,' Raneem adds.
'She doesn't know how to control it,' she says, which makes it all the more sad that Afaf is frequently targeted for mockery, especially by children.
Using communal bathrooms brings repeated humiliation. 'Every bathroom visit becomes a spectacle. People laugh, make cruel remarks, and it devastates them,' Raneem says.
The family's greatest blow came six months ago, when Mohammad, Raneem's 22-year-old brother, was taken by Israel.
Mohammad had gone to Kamal Adwan Hospital for surgery after a hand injury. While he was there, Israel raided the hospital on October 25 and seized Mohammad. Since then, the family knows nothing about his whereabouts.
Mohammad was the sibling most adept at navigating the outside world. 'He got their medicines, managed hospital visits, dealt with aid agencies,' Raneem explains. 'Without him, we're completely alone.'
Since his detention, the sisters face worsening food shortages and a lack of medical care. 'He was their protector,' Raneem says, her voice breaking. 'Now we have no one.'
Between March and May, intensified bombing again displaced 436,000 Palestinians, many for the second, third or fourth time since the October 2023 beginning of the war. For families like Raneem's – already in tents or shelters – each new wave of violence means starting over again, often without food or medicine.
For Aseel and Afaf, even basic nutrition is rife with threats. Celiac sufferers cannot eat gluten, which damages their small intestines.
In a starving Gaza where there is little to eat other than wheat-flour bread, which contains gluten, there is little chance that Raneem can find vegetables or meat for the sisters, especially with Mohammad detained.
Without gluten-free flour, Aseel and Afaf risk severe malnutrition, and they have gotten a dismally small amount of the 80 tonnes of gluten-free flour that aid agencies have thus far delivered to Gaza.
Much of it was blocked by closed borders, damaged roads, and broken distribution systems. 'The little that reaches us is too expensive or too late,' Raneem says.
Before the war, Aseel and Afaf had routine medical care at Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Their conditions required special diets, medication, and regular therapy, needs now nearly impossible to meet.
Psychological specialist Dr Sara al-Wahidi says the war has sharply worsened the marginalisation of people with disabilities in Gaza.
'We've seen people with disabilities become separated from [their families in] displacement areas – some missing for long periods, sadly later found deceased,' she explains.
A 2025 report estimates that at least 15 percent of Gaza's displaced population lives with a disability, and they have to navigate the makeshift shelters, whether in encampments, schools, or hospitals, that lack functioning ramps, adapted toilets and basic accessibility.
Raneem also battles social stigma, and despite her efforts – talking with neighbours, seeking support from community elders – ignorance persists.
'People provoke them, mock them. All we ask is understanding,' she says.
Some elders occasionally invite the sisters to their tents for a visit, brief moments of respite in a daily reality where they have no consistent medical or social support.
'We've been displaced again and again, from Jabalia to the west, then Gaza City,' Raneem recounts. 'Every new place, we have to start over, explaining their condition, begging for patience.
'These aren't just war victims,' she pleads.
'They're vulnerable people forgotten by the world.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses', as hunger crisis deepens
Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses', as hunger crisis deepens

Al Jazeera

time4 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses', as hunger crisis deepens

Israeli forces have killed at least 63 people across Gaza, hours after the military announced it would begin 'pausing' attacks for 10 hours daily in some areas to allow humanitarian aid to pass through. On Sunday, the Israeli army said it would temporarily halt military activity each day from 10am to 8pm (07:00-17:00 GMT) in parts of central and northern Gaza, including al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah and Gaza City. It also pledged to open designated aid corridors for food and medical convoys between 6am and 11pm. But hours into the first day of the 'humanitarian pauses', Israeli air raids resumed. 'There was an air strike on Gaza City, and this is one of the areas that was designated as a safe area, and where the Israeli forces are going to halt their military operations,' Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary reported from Deir el-Balah. 'According to Palestinians in that area, a bakery was targeted.' The bombardment comes as global outcry grows over the worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza inflicted by Israel. Famine deaths rise Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that six more Palestinians, including two children, died from hunger-related causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the number of starvation deaths to 133 since October 2023. Among the dead was five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, who succumbed to malnutrition at Nasser Hospital. 'Three months inside the hospital, and this is what I get in return, that she is dead,' said her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, as the child's father cradled her small body wrapped in a white shroud. The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Sunday that one in three Gaza residents has gone days without eating, and nearly 500,000 people are suffering from 'famine-like conditions'. The World Health Organization also warned last week that more than 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished. Falestine Ahmed, a mother in Gaza, told Al Jazeera she lost one-third of her body weight. 'I used to weigh 57kg [126 pounds], now I weigh 42kg [93 pounds], and both my son and I have been diagnosed with severe malnutrition,' she said. 'We barely have any food at home, and even when it's available, it's far too expensive for us to afford.' Israel has authorised new corridors for aid, while the United Arab Emirates and Jordan have airdropped supplies into the territory. However, deliveries have been fraught with danger and are far too few. Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud reported that one aid drop injured nearly a dozen people. 'Eleven people were reported with injuries as one of these pallets fell directly on tents in that displacement site near al-Rasheed Road.' Despite the mounting evidence of extreme hunger, Israel continues to deny that famine exists in Gaza. The Israeli military insists it is working to improve humanitarian access. But scenes of desperation contradict official claims. 'I've come all this way, risking my life for my children. They haven't eaten for a week,' said Smoud Wahdan, a mother searching for flour, speaking to Al Jazeera. 'At the very least, I've been looking for a piece of bread for my children.' Another displaced mother, Tahani, said that her cancer-stricken child was among those suffering. 'I came to get flour, to look for food to feed my children. I wish God's followers would wake up and see all these people. They are dying.' Aid groups overwhelmed Liz Allcock, the head of protection for Medical Aid for Palestinians, told Al Jazeera that she has never seen Gaza in such a state. 'The scale of starvation and the number of people you see walking around who are literally skin and bones [is shocking]… Money really has no value here when there is nothing to buy,' she said. 'All of Gazan society – no matter who they are – is suffering from critical food shortages,' she added, warning that one-quarter of the population is at risk of acute malnutrition. The United Nations says aid deliveries can only succeed if Israel approves the rapid movement of convoys through its checkpoints. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher noted that while some restrictions appeared to have eased, the scale of the crisis required far more action. 'This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,' he said. Diplomatic pressure builds French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he discussed the Gaza situation with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts and plans to co-host a conference in New York City next week focused on securing a two-state solution. 'We cannot accept that people, including large numbers of children, die of hunger,' he said. Macron confirmed that France would soon recognise Palestinian statehood, joining more than 140 UN member states. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in an interview that Israel's blockade of aid amounts to a violation of 'humanity and morality'. 'Quite clearly, it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, which was a decision that Israel made in March,' he told ABC News. However, he added that Australia was not ready to recognise Palestinian statehood 'imminently'. In the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that ceasefire talks led by President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, are making 'a lot of progress'. 'We're optimistic and hopeful that any day now, we will have a ceasefire agreement,' Rubio told Fox News, suggesting that half of the remaining Israeli captives may be released soon. Gaza's Health Ministry said that 88 Palestinians were killed and 374 wounded in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours alone. Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October, at least 59,821 Palestinians have been killed and more than 144,000 injured. Despite talk of pauses and diplomacy, the violence continues to escalate.

Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses' as hunger crisis deepens
Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses' as hunger crisis deepens

Al Jazeera

time5 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Israeli strikes kill 63 in Gaza despite ‘pauses' as hunger crisis deepens

Israeli forces killed at least 63 people across Gaza hours after the military announced it would begin 'pausing' attacks for 10 hours daily in some areas to allow humanitarian aid to pass through. On Sunday, the Israeli army said it would temporarily halt military activity each day from 10am to 8pm (07:00-17:00 GMT) in parts of central and northern Gaza, including al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah and Gaza City. It also pledged to open designated aid corridors for food and medical convoys between 6am and 11pm. But hours into the first day of the 'humanitarian pauses' Israeli air raids resumed. 'There was an air strike on Gaza City, and this is one of the areas that was designated as a safe area and where the Israeli forces are going to halt their military operations,' Al Jazeera's Hind Khoudary reported from Deir el-Balah. 'According to Palestinians in that area a bakery was targeted.' The bombardment comes as global outcry grows over the worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza inflicted by Israel. Famine deaths rise Gaza's Health Ministry reported six more Palestinians, including two children, died from hunger-related causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the number of starvation deaths to 133 since October 2023. Among the dead was 5-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb who succumbed to malnutrition at Nasser Hospital. 'Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead,' said her mother Israa Abu Haleeb as the child's father cradled her small body wrapped in a white shroud. The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Sunday that one in three Gaza residents had gone days without eating, and nearly 500,000 people are suffering from 'famine-like conditions'. The World Health Organization also warned last week more than 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished. Falestine Ahmed, a mother in Gaza, told Al Jazeera she had lost one-third of her body weight due to the lack of food. 'I used to weigh 57kg, now I weigh 42kg, and both my son and I have been diagnosed with severe malnutrition,' she said. 'We barely have any food at home, and even when it's available, it's far too expensive for us to afford.' Israel has authorised new corridors for aid, and the United Arab Emirates and Jordan have airdropped supplies into the territory. However, deliveries have been fraught with danger. Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud reported that one aid drop turned deadly: 'Eleven people were reported with injuries, as one of these pallets fell directly on tents in that displacement site near al-Rasheed road.' Despite the mounting evidence of extreme hunger, Israel continues to deny famine exists in Gaza. The Israeli military insists it is working to improve humanitarian access. But scenes of desperation contradict official claims. 'I've come all this way, risking my life for my children. They haven't eaten for a week,' said Smoud Wahdan, a mother searching for flour speaking to Al Jazeera. 'At the very least, I've been looking for a piece of bread for my children.' Another displaced mother, Tahani, said her cancer-stricken child was among those suffering. 'I came to get flour, to look for food to feed my children. I wish God's followers would wake up and see all these people. They are dying.' Aid groups overwhelmed Liz Allcock, head of protection for Medical Aid for Palestinians, told Al Jazeera that she had never seen Gaza in such a state. 'The scale of starvation and the number of people that you see walking around who are literally skin and bones… money really has no value here when there is nothing to buy,' she said. 'All of Gazan society – no matter who they are – is suffering from critical food shortages,' she added, warning that a quarter of the population was at risk of acute malnutrition. The United Nations says aid deliveries can only succeed if Israel approves rapid movement of convoys through its checkpoints. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher noted that while some restrictions appeared to have eased, the scale of the crisis required far more action. 'This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,' he said. Diplomatic pressure builds French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he had discussed the Gaza situation with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts and plans to co-host a conference in New York next week focused on securing a two-state solution. 'We cannot accept that people, including large numbers of children, die of hunger,' he said. Macron confirmed France would soon recognise Palestinian statehood, joining over 140 UN member states. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in an interview that Israel's blockade of aid amounts to a violation of 'humanity and morality.' 'Quite clearly, it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, which was a decision that Israel made in March,' he told ABC News. However, he added that Australia was not ready to recognise Palestine 'imminently'. In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ceasefire talks led by Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff were making 'a lot of progress'. 'We're optimistic and hopeful that any day now, we will have a ceasefire agreement,' Rubio told Fox News, suggesting that half the remaining Israeli captives may be released soon. The Gaza Health Ministry said 88 Palestinians were killed and 374 injured in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours alone. Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October, at least 59,821 Palestinians have been killed and more than 144,000 wounded. Despite talk of pauses and diplomacy, the violence continues to escalate.

What has Israel's denial of food done to Gaza's people?
What has Israel's denial of food done to Gaza's people?

Al Jazeera

time6 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

What has Israel's denial of food done to Gaza's people?

Siege tactics since March on Gaza's people have brought famine-like conditions throughout the Gaza Strip. Starvation in Gaza. An entire population deprived of food after months of Israel blocking vital supplies and waging relentless attacks. Experts say the strategy means long-term damage for the health of Gaza's people. So what are the consequences of Israel's actions? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Dr Nick Maynard – Volunteer surgeon who worked in Gaza with Medical Aid for Palestinians Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan – Paediatric intensive care doctor treating acute malnutrition in Gaza Alex de Waal – Executive director at World Peace Foundation; author of Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store