Winter, wind and water – October 2023 – January 2024

Winter, wind and water

At 2am Abeer was calling me to wake up.  She went to the toilet and felt her feet wet.  She put on the light of her mobile, water everywhere.  Half my mattress, my blanket completely wet, the room full of water, the sitting room too.  We woke up everybody, trying to figure out where the water came from. We wiped up the water.  We moved the wet mattress and blanket.  Luckily it was only my stuff that was wet otherwise it would be a catastrophe; how could we secure mattresses and blankets for 11 people.  I share with Abeer her mattress, 60cm wide and her blanket.

It was very heavy rain last night.  The water entered through the balcony of the room.

Went out, I will visit some NGOs, maybe they can give me a mattress and blanket.

I also bought some honey for my nephew, Hisham, who got hepatitis.  My brother installed his tent in a small area 1km away from where I live.  In that spot there are at least 30 tents.  As I arrive there, people are moving everywhere, crowds and noise, many carrying wet blankets and mattresses, putting them on top of the tents to dry. To dry?? While it is still raining, the small camp of tents drown in the rain, including my brother and his family.  Now I have to look for mattresses and blankets.  I don’t know how.  I don’t know who to address.  Thousands and thousands of tents drown in the rain. What can people do?  Who can help them?  More than half a million people drown in the rain.  Tents did not help.  Poor tents flew away, broken by the wind and the rain.  Children and women everywhere crying, screaming, men moving astonished, helpless, tired, exhausted, sad, angry, unable to do anything, running after pieces of their tents, trying to fix what can’t be fixed, and still the wind and the rain go on.

I saw my problem as very small.  I can still share with Abeer the 60cm wide mattress and one blanket.  I still have a concrete roof over my head.  You see, I’m lucky! Should I be thankful??