In the Words of Anera’s Palestine Staff
by Anera
Posted in: News
What we are hearing from our colleagues in Palestine living through the current crisis. Updated on an ongoing basis.
May 18
“The bombings never stop, day and night, and they are targeting civilian homes, public offices, roads and the main Ministry of Health offices. Their only COVID-19 texting lab is damaged and no longer operating.
“Today, while we were on the way to our distribution center in an ambulance, they targeted Gaza’s main garden less than 150 meters from us. Allah saved us. Alhamdullah!
“I saw several homes and residential towers completely destroyed in the center of Gaza City. All shops and stores are completely closed. We had to take a lot of detours to get to our distribution center, because of how many streets are destroyed.”
— an Anera staff member in Gaza City
May 18
“The testing process for COVID samples is stopped for the second day in a row because of the damage that has occurred at the central laboratory at the Rimal medical center yesterday.”
— an Anera staff member in Khan Younis
May 14
“Another terrifying night without electricity. The situation is unbearable. There is news that the power will completely disappear. Pray for us.”
May 14
“Last night was terrible. There were explosions everywhere. My kids, my family, everyone, we are still safe. Inshallah, we are waiting for this to end soon. The destruction I see around me is unbelievable.”
May 13
“We have very little internet connection. Our area is located in the center of Gaza City, the Rimal area, which is where most of the bombing has occurred. We haven’t had electricity for two days.”
May 13
“Even at home, we don’t feel safe. They may target a neighbor, or you. Really scary. And we just stay home and pray to God that nothing happens to ourselves and our families.”
May 13
“There isn’t a moment of quiet. I hold tight my girls to calm them down. The destruction here is so huge. The scale of anxiety, pain and worries are unimaginable. This is beyond just a crisis, it’s a catastrophe.”
May 12
“Our children asked us if the Eid is postponed because of this awful situation and they are not seeing any celebrations.”
May 12
“This is the most horrible and crazy bombardment we have ever seen compared to the last wars we had seen. There is no safe place even your own house. They are bombing highrises, leaving dozens of families homeless.”
May 12
“This escalation comes at a time when our hospitals are suffering from the COVID situation, which increases their needs for all medicines and medical supplies. In addition, the hospital ICU rooms were almost full with COVID patients, so according to the Ministry of Health officials, if the escalation continues for even a few days, it could overwhelm the health system in Gaza.”
May 12
“Things are getting really awful and scary in Gaza. No place to hide, all places are targeted and danger is everywhere. All we can do is just stay home and pray to God to keep us safe.”