Fakhoora Students' Homes Attacked
“I lost my home. I lost my furniture, I lost my happy memories. I believe I lost all. This is the place that I have been establishing to live in all my life. Now I think I live in a nightmare. Israel targeted the building where I live with my extended family, targeted my flat and other relatives places.” tells Angham Sukkar.
Angham, 22 lives in Al Shejaiya suburb, East of Gaza City, the scene of a massacre on the civilians living there by Israeli attack just days ago, with more than 60 people killed, mostly women and children, in a single day. Angham is a recent graduate of Al Fakhoora’s scholarship Program, Dynamic Futures, which she completed with an undergraduate degree in Speech Therapy from the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS).
A mother of two, Lara, seven months and Yazan, three years old, the last few days have been devastating to her and her young family. Fleeing an Israeli bombing on the apartment building in which she and 55 others live, moments before the attack, she was escaping shoeless outside her home, picking up almost nothing in her rush, her decision to do so would prove to be right, as seconds later everything was gone.
“I do not understand why they targeted our building. We were always very peaceful, but as we live by the borders, it seems that this is enough for us to be considered guilty and to destroy our families and our homes. That was our home. That was the place I established with my husband.” Angham said.
Now homeless, and living in a UN school, Angham complains that she is “living an unaffordable situation, that no one can afford, over 200 families live in small classrooms. I am so helpless for my kids. I cannot manage my life. For the last two days, I did not change their cloths or wash them, we live in horror!”
Angham concludes, “ I am completely depressed, and more sad for my kids, my husband cannot do much. We do not know where to go or who to ask; even my husband’s chicken breeding business has been completely destroyed. We are losing the hope of a better future. I truly hope that anyone or I can help!! But I do not know how, I do not know, how I can bring things back.”
Angham is among six Al Fakhoora students living in different areas in the Gaza Strip that have encountered terrifying experiences in the last few days, while their houses were destroyed by Israeli air attacks. Another 24 students have had their houses partially damaged; yet all have managed to evacuate and live in temporary shelters. 15 students have also been forced to leave their homes due to the bombings and are not aware of the status of their homes or neighborhoods.
Speaking about Al Fakhoora’s role and response during this terrible time, Farooq Burney, Director, commented, “What is most striking about evacuating or fleeing, is that there is no place to go. There is no safe place. The entire Gaza strip is under random and indiscriminate attack, and there is no leaving. The borders are sealed and the bombs fall everywhere and you are told your house will be destroyed. The schools, the hospitals, and the places of worship are all unsafe, and are all targets of the Israeli attacks.
Even now with the attacks still going on, and no ceasefire in sight, there is very little that can be done at this time considering the limited mobility and safety. The least we can provide is an emergency cash payment through our partner UNDP to the students and their families who have lost their homes to help them fulfill their urgent needs and buy necessary supplies.
We stand with our students, innocent people of Gaza, and the global community during this time to call for an immediate end to this war and the lifting of the inhuman blockade forced on the people there.”
More than 580 people have been killed and over 3,600 injured during the 14-day onslaught dubbed ‘Operation Pillar of Defense’, a number sure to rise with the growing intensity that Israel has shown in the last few days. More than a third of the dead are children, and the UN estimates that almost 80% of the deaths have been civilians.
Al Fakhoora’s students in Gaza have taken to social media to tell their side of the story, engage with them on #ImFromGaza and on their Facebook page; stand with them, send them messages of support, share their stories and help be an echo chamber for our students in Gaza.
