The death toll as a result of Israel’s attack on Palestinian Gaza reached 8,005 people and injured more than 20,200 others. Most of the victims killed in Gaza were children and women.
According to the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), more than 613 thousand of the 1.4 million refugees in Gaza are taking refuge in UNRWA facilities throughout the blockaded territory, including schools.
However, overcrowding, lack of privacy and inadequate sanitation put refugees in these schools at risk of various health risks. Overcrowded and inappropriate hygiene facilities in temporary accommodation have led to outbreaks of scabies and smallpox among refugees.
Several UNRWA schools have been targeted or suffered damage as a result of Israeli airstrikes in their vicinity.
With the attack on a school in the al-Maghazi refugee camp, which left dozens of people injured, it is clear that schools may not be the refuge that humanitarian agencies had hoped for.
Lack of basic hygiene, especially for women, adds to poor conditions, especially during menstruation. Women in Gaza are reportedly forced to take medication to delay menstruation.
Not only physical pain during menstruation, there is also psychological pressure
Women in Gaza Forced to Take Medication to Delay Menstruation Amid Israeli Attacks/Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images/Anadolu Agency
During menstruation, some women have to face several discomforts, such as headaches, joint pain, stomach and back pain. For Gazan women, pain is not just physical. However, there is also psychological pressure, such as constant anxiety and fear due to attacks from Israel.
“Experiencing menstruation while taking refuge in a shelter school felt like a nightmare,” a woman named Noor told Al Jazeera. “There were no blankets, no comfortable mattresses, no sanitary napkins, no pain medication, and no access to hot water to make a comforting drink.”
“Some girls in these shelters are forced to take medication to prevent their periods, in order to avoid further embarrassment and pain,” he added.
For those who are menstruating but do not have access to sanitary products, they are forced to wash and reuse previously used sanitary napkins. This can certainly endanger their health due to potential contamination.
Forced not to eat so as not to use the toilet
Foto: AFP via Getty Images/MOHAMMED ABED
At another UNRWA school in al-Maghazi, Amal, her husband and three young sons struggle to afford basic needs.
Although UNRWA continues to provide some assistance in shelters, the total siege of the Gaza Strip and incessant bombing have hampered access to essential services. This poses a health risk for Palestinian refugees.
Amal was forced to leave her home in the Shati (Beach) refugee camp west of Gaza City on October 13. His house was damaged due to attacks launched by Israel.
Amal and family fled to al-Maghazi to save themselves. However, the journey to save oneself is not an easy one. With bombs falling from the sky, the escape journey becomes very scary.
Some families drove trucks and were targeted by Israeli missiles and killed, while other men, women and children ran through the streets.
The only thing Amal could bring was an emergency bag, where she put her family’s identity card and a few things for her youngest son, Karim, who is not yet one year old.
“The situation in UNRWA schools is very grim,” said Amal. “I had a hard time finding the right size diaper for my child. We don’t receive any help for the children, and I don’t even have milk to feed them.”
Amal said she was forced to use cloth instead of diapers for her son, which caused a severe rash on him.
He added that he avoided eating even small amounts of tuna and bread provided by UNRWA so that he would not have to use the toilet. Due to the lack of blankets, her two other children, aged seven and five, are now suffering from colds and stomach aches.
“I can’t stand the situation we are living in,” said Amal. “This war was very cruel, and we heard the sound of bombing all day long.”
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