Hiba’s Story: Call for Support in Gaza During Ramadan
Since October 2023, Peace Winds has been delivering food, water, and other aid to survivors of the war in Gaza. We worked with local partners to deliver food packages to some 4,500 families between October and December last year.
Now, in honor of Ramadan, we need your help to keep this momentum going. We hope to raise $10,000 so that 100 families like Hiba’s can get what they need to sustain themselves.
When her husband was killed, Hiba became a single mother to her seven children. Her eldest, Hala, is growing up too quickly at age 15; her youngest, little Hamdi, is only 2 and still needs to be carried in his mother’s arms.
Hiba is only 38 years old, but she already carries enough weight on her shoulders for a lifetime. Her world collapsed in December 2023 when her husband was killed in the bombing of Al-Shifa Hospital. She was in the early months of pregnancy.
“My children no longer have a father to provide the basic needs for them,” Hiba said. “I carry that responsibility alone, struggling to secure even the most basic necessities including food, clothing, and a safe place to sleep.”
Just weeks before, in November, Hiba’s home and every one of her neighbors’ in their eastern Gaza City neighborhood was reduced to rubble. Since then, she and her children have been displaced more than 10 times. They move from makeshift tent to makeshift tent, from overcrowded schools to temporary shelters that lack clean water, sanitation, or electricity.
Ramadan, once a season of warmth and togetherness, now deepens her grief. The empty place at the table for iftar (breaking of the fast) is unbearable.
She said sadly, “My children speak of their father in whispers, wishing they could see him again.”
They hold their mother tightly, fearful that ongoing violence even under a fragile ceasefire might take her from them, too. More than 600 people have been killed by Israeli military attacks since the ceasefire took effect last October.
For Hiba, her pain is not only loss, but helplessness: the pain of being unable to give her children the dignity of a stable life or the comfort of adequate food and education.
Determined not to surrender, she started a small grocery stall with just 200 shekels (US$63). She has remained persistent, and with a daily income of 7 to 10 shekels (US$2-$3), managed to earn about 1,000 shekels (US$320). She saves part of her earnings to restock her shop with items like chocolate, cookies, and juice. It’s an unstable income, and she still struggles to make ends meet. Still, Hiba shows up for her children every day. “Despair must not dictate my children’s future,” she says with determination.
Hiba’s 13-year-old son tries to stand in food distribution lines, but he struggles to push through crowds of older teens and men. There are arguments and sometimes violence.
“Often he returns empty-handed. Most days, our family relies on lentil soup or canned food,” she says.
The Israeli government maintains harsh restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food. It opened the Rafah crossing, a critical aid channel along the Egyptian border, in January only briefly before closing it again in early March. More than 80% of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed, so with little aid allowed to supplement local production, the majority of Gaza’s more than 2 million people still face acute hunger and/or malnutrition.
“My children dream of simple things: a piece of chicken, a boiled egg, fresh fruit. These are no longer ordinary items; they are luxuries priced far beyond my means.”
Despite everything, Hiba’s voice carries both sorrow and resolve. Her story is not only about loss. It is about endurance, the quiet, daily courage of a mother who refuses to let this situation determine her children’s future.
Hiba appeals to humanitarian organizations and to people around the world to stand with families who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. They survive on scarce international aid, holding on to hope, determined to remain in their homeland rather than be forced to leave it.
Your contributions will be used to provide gift vouchers to families like Hiba’s so that they can buy the food and daily essentials they need most. We are so grateful for your support.
(Names used in this article are pseudonyms to protect the privacy of the individuals.)