Amid the skyrocketing prices and lack of resources; food parcels mitigate her burden, the story of Hadeel Al-Bardawil: 

Her husband was killed by the IOF, leaving her alone with her children. She had to evacuate several times; from a school to a destroyed home, surviving through the support and aid from other families. This is the headline of the story of 38-year-old Hadeel Al-Bardawil, who was displaced from Jabalya in northern Gaza to Al-Zawaida in the middle area. Hadeel currently lives with her family in their destroyed home in Al-Zawaida, surrounded by rubble and devastation. They have no shelter, no walls, and nothing to rest their heads on after a long, exhausting day.

Hadeel’s husband was killed in November 2023 when a neighbor’s house was bombed. The family evacuated under the rubble, having lost their primary breadwinner, leaving Hadeel to household three children: Bader, Bara’a, and Jouri. Bader suffers from asthma, Bara’a bears scars from burns, and the family struggles to provide her essential medication.

After initially sheltering at Ibn Rushd School in Al-Zawayda, the challenging conditions and overcrowding in schools and shelters forced Hadeel to leave. Finding no better options, she returned to her family’s home, which had also been partially destroyed by airstrikes.

“It Brings Us Back to Life”

“There is no source of income for the family,” says Hadeel, who came to collect a fresh vegetable parcel from the Social Developmental Forum. The distribution was conducted in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) as part of the project Improving Access to Food Assistance for Palestinians in Gaza Affected by the Ongoing Israeli Aggression”.

The parcel helps me and my children immensely. It brings hope; providing relief for the family and bringing joy to children.” She says with a mix of laughter, sadness, and disappointment at her circumstances, she elaborates: “It revives my children. We have no flour or any kind of food. I feel happy to carry the parcel home, being reassured that they will have something to eat.”

Hadeel praised the relief efforts of NGOs, noting their significant role in aiding displaced families. “Most people have suffered from the lack of any source of income since the war began in October 202. Even my family, we don’t have any source of income, so we can’t support one another,” she explained. Hadeel expressed her hope that such aid would continue to alleviate the hardships faced by families and provide support during these difficult times.

Hundreds of Parcels

Hadeel was one of the beneficiaries of the recent distribution cycle, implemented by the Social Developmental Forum, which provided fresh vegetable packages to over 190 of the neediest displaced Palestinian families in central middle and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. The effort aims to promote their resilience amid the escalating conditions.

SDF’s youth network participated in the distribution process, overseeing operations, assisting beneficiaries, and handing out parcels. A group of volunteers was appointed to support women and families who came to collect their packages. As the crossings remain closed and occupied, and the humanitarian aid sent to Gaza is very limited, the SDF remains dedicated to alleviating the severe challenges faced by displaced families within its capacity and resources.

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