As part of its role to alleviate the sufferings o the Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has published a feature on the sufferings faced by the Palestinian residents of Shouka area of Rafah.
Refugee stories: Stolen Joy
Saturday, 2 September was an unusual day for Omar from Shoka area in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. He and his five brothers, displaced due to destruction by an Israeli military operation in their area, did not attend the first day back to school.
Omar lives in a tent camp in a deserted area beside the main road of Rafah with other displaced families pending their return home near the closed international airport in Rafah.
"My father did not buy us new clothes or bags for the new year. He is unemployed and could not even give us our pocket money and we can't pay a taxi to take us to our school that is far from here," laments Omar.
He explains, "our house had been destroyed by the Israelis and UNRWA took us to a school where we lived for a while, but they asked us to leave the school so they can open it for the students."
John Ging, UNRWA's Director of Operations in Gaza, explains that "Shoka has been the location of repeated Israeli army incursions since June. Most of the people there have been evacuated on each of the three occasions that the Israeli army has gone in". Some of those who fled sought refuge in UNRWA schools in Rafah. "We have had more than 2,000 in and we have had to open the schools three times", Ging recalls .
During the past month, over 300 individuals displaced from the Shoka area have stayed in tents in Rafah. Some of them had previously been in the UNRWA schools in Rafah, but had to move due to the beginning of classes on 1 September. UNRWA has provided tents, food assistance, emergency cash assistance, water, toilets and bathing units as well as sanitation laborers who ensure the cleanliness of the area.
Omar's father Mussa reveals the difficulties of his situation: "I can't send my kids to school, I am not working and my main goal now is how to find them food. My case is just like all the others living here. I am doing my best now to get my kids mattresses, covers and a new tent that will protect us during the coming winter."
Ibrahim, an 18 year-old from the same area says that he can't go to school with his old clothes: "I feel ashamed of myself-look what I am wearing now-how can I go and how up to the teachers and my colleagues. I will never go to my school until I buy new clothes". "My father is unemployed, we are nine kids and we live in that miserable tent", explains Ibrahim.
Forty-year old Youssef says that his is a very complicated case: "I am not a registered refugee and I can talk on behalf of the families here-we need new tents without holes and we need mattresses. The month of Ramadan and winter are coming and life is becoming more difficult".
The scene appears even more dramatic in the UNRWA school of the Shoka area. The headmistress, Amal, has worked at UNRWA schools for a long time but she says that she has never seen this level of poverty before.
Faten Abu Khatla, a twelve-year old from Al Shoka School, explains her situation: "My family left our house beside the airport. We now live in Al Jenan area in Rafah. My father is unemployed.
Speaking about her school supplies, Faten describes that "My new school bag is a plastic bag that my mother gave me from the kitchen. It's better than nothing and it will help me to carry my books".
Faten continues: "I don't remember the last time I received an allowance. My clothes are the same ones I had last year and I don't have a school bag. They simply stole my and my family's happiness.
"The biggest problem that we face now is that we don't know when our suffering will end and when we will go back to our homes. They are simple and small homes but they are 1000 times better than what we have now," he added.
"What can you do when your kids ask you to buy them something and you are not able to do so? How can you look into his eyes? What is your feeling when 13 family members are depending on you and you are jobless and hopeless?" asks Salah sadly before disappearing behind his tent.
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