Musallam lives with his wife and six children, ranging in age from 9 months to 7 years old, in a structure that consists of 2 small rooms just outside of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The home has a metallic roof, no windows, no electricity, no running water, and therefore poor sanitation. In short, uninhabitable for small children.
Musallam occasionally works as a fisherman which is a dangerous job since boats will be attacked with live ammunition if they venture outside of 6 nautical miles. But being confined to such a restricted area means fewer and fewer fish are caught.
Unfortunately for Musallam and others like him, there is no other work available that will enable him to feed his family and pay for any discretionary items they may need, such as milk and diapers for his 9 month old. “If something should happen to me, I don’t know how my family will live.”
During our field visits in preparation for the Ramadan distribution, Musallam told us that he has not benefited from any organizations other than the Ministry of Social Affairs who provides dry food aid and a small amount of cash once every 3 months.
Through the generosity of our donors, Musallam and his family have received 2 distributions of fresh food including live chickens, fresh vegetables, and dairy, enough food for the entire month. “This food came at the right time. I did not have any money and I could see the change in my wife and children with the food,” said Musallam.
As for Musallem’s wife, Amal, she says “The situation these days is very difficult, my husband was a former worker in Israel and our situation was excellent, not like these days we don’t have any money.” Crying and finding difficulty talking through the tears, she continues, “Thank you to all who made this possible for our children.”
“The people of Gaza deserve justice and the right to live as dignified human beings,” said Dr. Laila Al-Marayati, KinderUSA Board Chair, “Providing them with healthy, nutritious meals during Ramadan, a month of self-restraint and spiritual reflection, will help restore a portion of the dignity that has been stolen from them.”
During the last days of Ramadan, our distribution continues and you still have time to make an online donation. Our goal is to continue distributing fresh food to families in need beyond Ramadan, funding permitted. Thank you to all who have made this project a continued success.
