"We live on empty bags" - One woman's story of life in Gaza

The story of Fatima* and her family is almost impossible to fathom for anyone living in safety and relative comfort, yet her endless struggle is something far from unique to people living in Gaza.

We spoke to Fatima after she arrived in the Deir Al-Balah camp with her family, after they had been forced to flee their home in Northern Gaza.

Fatima and her family sleep on empty plastic bags that they have borrowed from their neighbours, and every single day sees a struggle to find enough food to feed herself and those closest to her.

"Believe me, since we arrived here, we haven’t received any food aid or anything. Winter came and we flooded three times," she says.

"Drought has affected all of us. I can barely move, there is no food or drink. We spend the whole day trying to make a loaf or something to eat, and barely manage to secure flour from here or there, and even this is difficult because there is no money."

Bringing the family's cherished belongings with them was not an option, adds Fatima.

"We arrived empty-handed, we did not carry anything," she says.

"The clothes I was wearing are the same ones I stayed in. We came to a tent with no mattress, no cover, no anything, no food, no drink, no flour, nothing."

Fatima also describes the overwhelming grief of losing so many family members since late 2023, when the current crisis began.

"I have lost my brother, his daughter, his son, even my sister's daughters, and my husband's family. I have lost so much. I lost my loved ones before and my home. If the house had been destroyed but my loved ones remained, it would have been easier for me. The feeling of sadness has overwhelmed me greatly. Life is very hard, and everything is pressuring us."

If there's one thing that Fatima wants above anything else, it's compassion.

"I call on anyone with a compassionate heart to continue providing aid to the poor people, to the people who lost their homes and children. Life in Gaza no longer has meaning after everything that happened. Anyone who sees pictures of Gaza on the internet understands the scale of the tragedy, and that Gaza has nothing left.We ask for mercy and humanity from anyone with a compassionate heart."

*Fatima's name has been changed.