Living in the Squeezed Southern Gaza: A Harsh Reality
Palestinians living in southern Gaza endure dire living conditions, including overcrowding, exorbitant food prices, hunger among children, and inadequate sanitation Aid groups issue grave warnings of an imminent famine crisis
Palestinians who have been displaced within Gaza due to Israel's ground offensive are enduring cramped living conditions, exorbitant food prices, hungry children, and unsanitary conditions, all exacerbated by severe restrictions on food and supplies entering the coastal strip.
CNN interviewed several individuals in the southern city of Rafah, where tens of thousands have sought refuge despite it being the most densely populated area of Gaza.
"The way I am getting by is by begging here and there and taking help from anyone," said Abu Misbah, a 51-year-old building worker trying to support a family of 10.
This December 4 photo shows damage and fire at the al-Tuffah petrol station corroborating reports of an attack at the site on December 3.
Planet Labs
Israel struck some areas it directed civilians to in Gaza, CNN analysis shows
Vegetables and fruit were unaffordable, he said. His children asked for oranges, but he was not able to buy them.
"We've never experienced anything like this before; we used to be a middle-class family," he lamented. "Now, after the war, we have to buy dates that used to be plentiful and free. We desperately need a solution to our suffering."
Like many others in besieged Gaza, he is facing what aid organizations are warning could lead to a devastating famine. The entire population of Gaza has been classified as being in a state of crisis, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
Israel sealed off its border with Gaza and initiated a relentless bombing offensive following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, and subsequently launched a continuing ground incursion. The conflict has sparked a humanitarian emergency across the Palestinian region, displacing thousands of individuals from their homes.
In recent days, Israel has extended its military operation into the southern area of Khan Younis, urging residents to evacuate. However, the United Nations has declared that Gazans have no secure refuge.
What kind of life is this?
Umm Omar, aged 50, is currently displaced in Rafah and resides in a makeshift tent with her family. When the ceasefire was in effect, they briefly went back to their home only to discover that all the windows and solar panels had been shattered, and the kitchen was in ruins.
"We have managed to fit nine people into a tent that is only two meters by one meter," she explained, emphasizing that they had purchased the camping tent on their own without any assistance. Omar added that they were relying on canned food and pointed out that the cost of most foods had increased at least fourfold since the war began. Additionally, they were struggling to find necessary medication.
"Life is difficult and humiliating; the word humiliating is not even close to describing it," she told CNN.
Palestinians rush to purchase frozen meat following the Israeli authorities' approval for it to be transported through the Karem Shalom crossing into the Gaza Strip. This marks the first instance of frozen meat being allowed into the area since the start of the conflict between Israel and the Hamas movement. (Image credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa/Getty Images)
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, shelter in a tent camp, in Rafah, southern Gaza, December 29, 2023.
Shadi Tabatibi/Reuters
Formerly a produce cart seller, 47-year-old Mahmoud Harara now resides with eight family members, including five school-age children, on the streets of Rafah, Al-Shujaiya.
"My house was completely destroyed and two of my sons were injured when our home was hit," he said.
Just like thousands of others, the family is now living in a makeshift tent made of nylon and searching the streets for food. They left their home with nothing and have no mattresses for their tent. Harara shared that his family is not receiving any assistance, and the cost of food is "unimaginableâ¦Your child asks for a piece of bread and you can't provide it. What kind of life is this?"
Harara mentioned that he walks three kilometers to a hospital just to use the toilets. The lack of sanitation in the overcrowded southern Gaza has resulted in the spread of contagious and respiratory diseases among the displaced. Not only that, but it was also challenging to access clean drinking water, and his children often felt cold at night. He mentioned that none of his family members had been able to take a shower in several weeks.
Aid groups warn of famine conditions
There has been a recent surge in civilian crowds gathering around aid trucks entering Gaza, as they desperately seek food. The United Nations has issued a warning, stating that the humanitarian crisis in southern Gaza is worsening and emphasized that the amount of aid reaching the enclave is still significantly insufficient.
The youngest children in Gaza are at a high risk of severe malnutrition and preventable death as the risk of famine conditions continues to increase, as stated by UNICEF last week.
The children's aid organization has estimated that in the upcoming weeks, "at least 10,000 children under the age of five will experience the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, known as severe wasting, and will require therapeutic foods."
Many families in Gaza are already facing the real threat of dying from hunger, according to UNICEF. A recent IPC report revealed that nearly all 2.2 million residents of Gaza are now experiencing severe hunger, with the entire population classified as being in a state of crisis - the highest level of acute food insecurity ever recorded by the IPC initiative.
"According to IPC, many adults sacrifice their own meals so that children can eat. They emphasize the urgent need to restore humanitarian access in the entire region to ensure the timely delivery of essential aid. The organization also highlighted that these dire circumstances can be avoided if immediate action is taken to prevent famine in the near future."
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in order to provide substantial aid to the population of Gaza. He has also expressed concern about the looming threat of a potential "catastrophe with potentially irreversible consequences."
"As the Israel Defence Forces continue to bombard Gaza and its residents lack adequate shelter and resources for survival, I fear that the desperate situation will soon lead to a breakdown of public order, making it nearly impossible to provide even limited humanitarian assistance," he stated.
