Wassim Abu Daghim; persons with disabilities are prioritized in the SDF’s interventions

Waseem Ahmed Abu Daghim is a 26-year-old young person with a disability. He lives in Deir al-Balah City in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip.  As a result of an injury in an unfortunate traffic accident, he has been suffering from a physical disability for over ten years that left him with a permanent challenge to walk. Thus, Wassim had to use a wheelchair, that had a significant impact on his life.

He joined the Faculty of Engineering, majoring in multimedia. Yet, as a result of the repeated aggressions on the Gaza Strip,  he did not get adequate job opportunities, and many people lost their jobs, which increased unemployment among youths.

These circumstances did not hinder Wassim’s passion. He had determined to widen his prospects in several fields within his major. So, he completed an audio engineering course, which he felt he was able to get the maximum out of, and has also worked at “Erada” radio, which supports persons with disabilities. He has also tried to work as a freelancer, but all these prospects went in vain as a result of the ongoing Israeli genocide on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Wassim has been an orphan for twenty years. He has five siblings who don’t have neither job opportunities nor breadwinners, adding to the burden of life on the family.

Wassim received relief aid through the project of “Distribution of food and non-food items to protect children and families in Gaza”, implemented by the Social Developmental Forum (SDF) in partnership with the Japanese Campaign for the Children of Palestine (CCP). He received an urgent cash assistance of $125 to support his family.

“The aid came at the right time,” said Wassim. It helped the family to provide fundamental necessities, given the high prices that hit the Gaza Strip, as a repercussion of the genocide, in addition to the lack of job opportunities. His older brother used to own a freezer shop in the city, which he lost, as a result of the military operations, leaving the family without any source of income for nine months.

Despite being in an area that Israel so-declared to be “safe”, Wassim’s family suffered from the bitterness of displacement. He was forced to flee his house, after bombing and targeting several houses located near the seashore of Deir al-Balah. Wassim had to evacuate alone, no one was with him at the moment of the bombing. “It was a tough, tragic, and shocking situation” he expressed.

I wished to die. We were displaced to a school, but the situation was very difficult.

Wassim Abu Daghim

Wassim talks about the lack of adaptation in displacement centers for people with disabilities. He added: “I tried to use the school bathroom, but it wasn’t accessible. After a long time we were able to find a solution, it was a bad experience.”

This is a simple glimpse of what Wassim and other persons with disabilities have been experiencing during the genocide, as transportation at this time has become challenging. Before the 7th of October, Wassim used to hardly move from one place to another. He used to need someone’s help to get him in a car, in addition to helping him move the chair, and provide a space for it. This doesn’t apply as this help is not available, with no transportation in taxis and being limited to animal-drawn carts, making it way harder for persons with disability.

Wassim’s mother was injured too, through an Israeli shelling near the family’s home. In previous years, she was trying to have a job opportunity to support her children. She has become unemployed from the UNRWA and remained a housewife.

In light of these difficult circumstances, Wassim’s family is still trying to survive. They believe that the interventions provided by community, civil institutions, and campaigns, such as the Social Development Forum (SDF), including food parcels, health supplies, hygiene kits, and cash assistance, are significant in supporting people’s resilience.