This winter, there is no blessing and no goodness in Gaza. Opinion
Winter used to be a favorite season in Gaza. It was believed to bring “Khair” and “Baraka” – goodness and blessings. Children and adults alike were waiting for the arrival of cold weather to get relief from the heat.
When the rain finally came, children would happily run into the streets and sing “Shatti ya doniya shatti, wa arawi kul al-ardi, li-yazra al-falah khokh wa roman wa tufah” – “Rain, world, rain. And water all the land, so farmers can grow peaches, pomegranates and apples.”
For water-strapped Gaza, the rain was truly a boon. Farmers will welcome them and start preparing for the new crop season. The markets will be filled with locally grown vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and fruits such as oranges, kiwi, persimmons and strawberries.
For city dwellers, a rainy day would be a time to relax at home, hiding under warm blankets or gathering around a fire to make tea or drink “sahleeb” – a sweet drink made from milk, starch, coconut pieces and nuts. .
Sometimes at night, when electricity was restored, families would sit comfortably in front of the TV and watch a movie or soap opera.
On cold and dry days, many people would go out to the seashore, enjoy a walk or meet friends. The aroma of sweet roasted corn and chestnuts will fill the air. Many people also stopped at the famous sweet shop “Abu Al Saud” to eat hot kunafe – either the Arabic variety filled with walnuts or the cheese-filled one called Nabulsiya.
These winters in Gaza now seem like a distant past. Abu Al Saud’s shop is no more. There are no cozy gatherings and sweet talks, no friends, no TV. When it rains no child sings “Shatti Ya Doniya Shatti” outside.
This year winter did not bring Khair and Baraka. This brought more pain and great despair.
Rain has been a curse. People are praying for dry weather, fearing what damage floodwaters could do to displaced persons’ camps.
The sound of thunder has now become like the sound of bombs – it scares. Many Palestinians have no place to shelter from the storm. Aid groups say at least one million people have no basic protection from the winter weather.
Temporary shelters are made from cloth, tarpaulin, blankets, cardboard and even old rice sacks. They can hardly withstand wind and rain. At night, families are forced to lie awake, holding their tents in place so they don’t blow away, while water seeps through the bottom, drenching their mattresses, blankets and other items.
Often, the shelters are so weak that rain destroys them, causing despair for families who have already lost everything. Prices for tents and materials to build makeshift tents have skyrocketed, leaving those whose shelters have been blown away or washed away exposed to the elements.
Some people have become so desperate that they have returned to their bombed homes to seek shelter. Even though the building is so badly damaged that it could collapse at any moment, people stay in it, they have no other option.
It’s also almost impossible to stay warm. Wood has become unobtainable for many people; The price of 1 kg is now $9. Those who cannot afford it have to go out in search of it themselves – a tedious, exhausting task. Even if there is enough wood for a fire, it is not enough to keep a family warm on a cold night.
What makes the winter cold even more unbearable is hunger. Food prices have skyrocketed in Gaza since October. A bag of flour can cost up to $200. Meat and fish have completely disappeared from the markets; Vegetables and fruits are scarce and at exorbitant prices.
Bakeries have closed because they have no supplies to cook with. UNRWA and the World Food Programme, which normally provide food to the most vulnerable, cannot cope with the demand. Meals of gram, lentils and rice are distributed at soup kitchens, but each family gets only one plate, barely enough for one person.
At night, in every displaced camp, the screams of hungry children can be heard as they beg their parents to give them food.
Memories of the warmth and happiness that used to fill homes in Gaza during winter have faded. Disappointment and suffering prevail in winter. There seems to be no end to the suffering of the Palestinian people. Many people survive on the hope that the war and genocide will end, food will become available again and people will have proper shelter. That Khair and Baraka will return to Gaza one day.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
