Hossam Madhoun in Gaza
Don’t know what Day
I don’t know which day it is in this damn war
Sitting at the desk of the UNRWA clinic in Nuseirat
My wife decided yesterday that she can’t stay doing nothing, she is working for Humanity and Inclusion. They have a stock of assistive devices, medical supplies, wheel-chairs and similar things.
She contacted her colleague, Osama; he was already in the field looking for any extra hands to help.
We went to the UNRWA schools where displaced people took refuge.
We visited four schools to count how many disabled persons, pregnant women, old sick people, lactating babies, and the injured are in need of medical supplies.
The crowds in the schools were hell, more than 4000 people in each school.
The schools consist of 22 classrooms, 2 administration rooms and 12 bathrooms, with a front yard of about 120 meters squared.
Inside the rooms, women and children were squeezed in
Men are all in the front yard, no one can imagine how they manage, if they manage?!!
No water supply, skin diseases start to spread like a pandemic.
We met the volunteers and those responsible for the shelter to get the information about the people in need and what types of need. Hundreds gathered and surrounded us hoping that we can help to bring food or any other basic needs. Crowd, noise, 5000 people talk, scream, fight, argue at the same time in a very limited space, children crying, the smell is unbearable.
In 3 hours, we gathered the needed information.
278 disabled persons,
301 pregnant women
167 lactating babies
77 injured in need of medical supplies
198 old men and women in need of assistive devices, wheel-chairs, crutches and so on
Back to the UNRWA clinic were Abeer’s colleague coordinated bringing all the stock from Deir Al Balah to Nuseirat.
Abeer started the crosscheck with the UNRWA team to avoid duplication in the distribution.
Osama arrived with a big truck full of materials, we needed to bring it down into the store of the clinic. It was me, Osama, Abeer, two female volunteers and two male UNRWA staff.
Two hours to download the truck, we were all exhausted, it is late, darkness is in less than 45 minutes, absolutely dangerous to move at dark, we were really afraid, we decide to postpone the distribution for tomorrow.
It is tomorrow when I am writing this. Osama arrived with a new truck needing to be unloaded. There is enough people to help, it is 11 in the morning.