Gaza orphanage caught in war’s crossfire

Hazem Saeed Al-Naizi, the director of the Mabarat Al-Rahma orphanage, paints a devastating picture of the Gaza Strip. People sleep in tents and live in fear and hunger as they battle the spread of diseases and the bitter winter cold. With no fuel and electricity, access to communication services and the internet is difficult. 

“Thousands of children and women have lost their lives, homes, and hospitals. Schools have been demolished, roads have been destroyed, and people have been forced to flee in search of safety from death,” he told MaltaToday. 

“The environment is unsafe, with polluted water, chaos, and an increase in incidents of theft and murder. The people of Gaza are living in a real hell – a hell that is unbearable.” 

Hazem Saeed Al-Naizi is the director of an orphanage in Gaza

Last October, the Mabarat Al-Rahma orphanage in Gaza was destroyed after a nearby mosque was bombed, forcing the children out. After this, the children had to be evacuated several times from different parts of Gaza due to Israeli bombing. First, they moved to several areas in northern Gaza. Fifty days into the war, they had to evacuate the children down south. 

“The journey was extremely dangerous; we had to walk long distances amidst fear and shelling while carrying the children, many of whom have disabilities that prevent them from walking,” Al-Naizi said. 

They were displaced multiple times when they reached the south and eventually settled in tents in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis. The children were deprived of healthcare and proper nutrition, leading to the death of one child who was suffering from severe medical conditions. 

“Every time we were forced to evacuate, we left everything behind and fled for our lives. Then we had to buy everything the children needed anew, including food, bedding, clothes, and essential items. With the help of friends who provided us with money, we always tried to alleviate the difficulties and dangers facing the children, hoping to save them from death. We have been displaced more than 10 consecutive times due to Israeli army operations.” 

The orphanage was set up in 1993 to provide comprehensive care for children who lost their families amidst the difficult conditions of the Gaza Strip. Healthy children are placed in foster families that meet a set of criteria, while children suffering from illnesses or disabilities are kept within a special care environment within the orphanage, which consists of a series of residential apartments. Each group of five children of different ages live under the care of a substitute mother, who helps to meet their emotional and social needs. 

A large crater caused by an Israeli airstrike that hit a makeshift camp for displaced people in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis in Gaza. (Photo: UN News)

According to Al-Naizi, there are 24 children living within the orphanage itself and 212 living with foster families, still under the oversight of the orphanage. Their ages range from three months to 25 years old. Living under bombardment, they suffer from diseases caused by infections, overcrowding, malnutrition, water pollution, severe cold, and a lack of needed healthcare, with many essential medications unavailable. 

“We always try to make their lives easier and to be by their side, to comfort them and reassure them. We teach them drawing and singing, and we design various games to keep them occupied and distracted from what is happening around them,” he said. 

Life in the Gaza Strip has been marked by destruction and death ever since the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, exacerbated by the Israeli-imposed blockade on the territory after Hamas’s victory in the 2006 elections. Since then, repeated assaults in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2021 have contributed to a worsening humanitarian, economic, and health crisis in the Gaza Strip. 

The latest aggression began after Hamas’s sudden attack on the Gaza border settlements in October 2023. This aggression, according to Al-Naizi, is turning the Gaza Strip into an unliveable place. 

The Gaza Strip is only slightly bigger than Malta, but it houses over two million people exposed to intense and violent bombardment. Al-Naizi said that once the bombardment and aggression began, only a few staff members were able to reach the orphanage, while the rest helped their families evacuate and escape. The staff who managed to get to the orphanage brought their families so that they could be close to them while fulfilling their humanitarian duties. 

“The goal was to protect the children and save them from death while trying to calm them down. They provided the necessary food, medicine, and hygiene supplies and engaged the children in various activities to promote resilience and adaptation to the horrors of conflict. Stories were told, drawing and colouring activities were organised, singing took place, and children's television channels were played at a higher volume to drown out the sounds of explosions.” 

The war in Gaza has been going on for more than 15 months now. While the administration of the orphanage has been unable to provide salaries for their employees, the staff are still fulfilling their duties in caring for these children. Right now, the orphanage is relying on donations to meet its financial needs, although access to funds has become a challenge since donors are focusing on emergency relief. With many charitable organisations, such as UNRWA, facing restrictions on their operations, there are now a very limited number of organisations working in the Gaza Strip. Funding is instead going to basic and urgent needs such as food, clothing, and tents. 

“As we enter the new year, our hopes in Gaza are focused on peace, stability, and rebuilding our lives. We hope that the violence will come to an end and that we can live beautiful and safe lives like the rest of the people in the world, with dignity and security,” Al-Naizi said. “We aspire to rebuild our community anew, to resume work at the orphanage, and to bring the children back after it has been renovated and rebuilt. We wish to see the children growing up in peace, receiving all the healthcare, social, educational, and psychological support they need,” he said.