By Hosni Nadim
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Displaced and injured Ayah Farina, 18, recounted the destructive effects of the ongoing Israeli war to Anadolu.
"In the middle of the night, the house suddenly collapsed on us,” she said. “My five brothers were martyred, and I was injured in both my legs. Since then, I have been in a wheelchair.”
Farina, who has been relocated from the northern Gaza Strip to the south, is residing in the Al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis. She uses a manually adjusted wheelchair, tailored to accommodate her injury.
-Journey of suffering and pain
"We fled to Khan Younis after the Israeli army entered northern Gaza Strip through the Halabah (Israeli corridor),'' she said.
''It was difficult, but we managed to procure the wheelchair and attached a wooden board with it so I could evacuate,'' she said.
On her wheelchair with her feet secured with metal rods, Farina said: ''When we arrived in the Al-Mawasi area, we sat with my aunt in a small tent with 16 people inside."
Her family tirelessly sought to obtain an independent tent in the area after their exhausting journey. But their efforts were in vain.
-Overcrowded tents
Farina cited the difficulties of movement within the tent due to the large number of people inside. Her feet were also harmed as others moved around.
"The tent is narrow and overcrowded, exposing my feet to harm from others unintentionally. The pain intensifies in cold weather and I cannot wear clothes comfortably due to the metal rods stabilizing the broken bones,'' she said as she described her suffering.
Those who are displaced, grapple with a shortage of blankets, heavy clothing and heating supplies needed to cope with the winter, exacerbating the difficulty of the humanitarian condition.
"I underwent medical examinations and X-rays for my feet. The doctors informed me that my right foot is good. However, the bones of the other foot are still fragmented,'' said Farina.
-Wheelchair needed
Farina pleads to have a wheelchair suitable for her condition and to find a better and more spacious shelter so her feet are not exposed to harm.
She hopes the war will soon end and to return home to northern Gaza, despite realizing that life will never be the same after losing her home and siblings.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, killing at least 27,585 Palestinians and injuring 66,978 others. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio