Middle East War Notes | A Glimmer of Light in the Dark Night - Gaza Volunteers Bring Joy to Children in the War
2024-08-28
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Xinhua News Agency, Gaza, August 27 (Sana Kamel) In August, the number of Palestinian deaths caused by the new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip exceeded 40,000.
From 100 to 1,000, then to 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, and 40,000, the death toll has continued to rise, causing concern among the world. The latest data from the United Nations shows that now 9 out of every 10 people in the Gaza Strip are displaced.
Under the bombardment, children in the Gaza Strip are particularly innocent and vulnerable. Children who should have had a pure and happy childhood are forced to face the tragic reality, and their eyes are often filled with panic and fear. Even if they can just forget the war for a short time and enjoy a moment of happiness, it has become a luxury wish in these years of war.
Last November, shortly after a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out, Mohammed Amasi and several friends launched a "edutainment" volunteer project in Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. They regularly went to schools that housed displaced people to teach children to paint and sing, tell them stories, or dress up as clowns to bring laughter.
In Khan Yunis, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian volunteer dressed as a clown and played with local children (photo taken on June 7). Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Rizek Abdul Jawad)"The children have not yet recovered from the psychological trauma caused by the previous attacks, and new shelling has come." Amasi said that some of the surviving children are still trapped in the lingering fear of death for a long time, some children have become more and more withdrawn, and some have even shown violent tendencies.
Amasi and his friends operated this volunteer project with difficulty but determination. During an activity organized by volunteers, I saw that the children formed several large circles on the playground, and volunteers hosted, performed and organized competitions in the middle, guiding the children to beat the rhythm with their hands, while parents watched with great interest from the outside. After the children's sprint competition, the children were greeted at the finish line by the cheers and applause of their parents.
Heba Rayes, another initiator of the volunteer project, said that these games give children a sense of belonging and that someone cares about them. "Almost every adult in the Gaza Strip has experienced the pain brought by the war, so as adults they can understand the feelings of today's children," Rayes said.
In the more than 10 months since the outbreak of the new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I have occasionally met similar volunteers in the Gaza Strip: some of them wear cartoon doll costumes, some wear brightly colored wigs and iconic red clown noses, lead the children to spin, run, play games, or hold the depressed children until they burst into laughter. At that moment, the war seemed to have stopped.
Many volunteers said that it was because they had experienced darkness that they wanted to bring light to others. In February this year, I met 20-year-old Mena Hamouda in Deir al-Balah, a city in the central Gaza Strip. She fled her home in the northern town of Beit Lahiya about four months ago. She decided to use face painting to comfort the children in the war, and the most common ones she painted were birds, houses, olive branches and the Palestinian flag.
Palestinian children participate in a child care activity organized by local volunteers at a school in Deir al-Balah, a city in the central Gaza Strip (Photo taken on February 29). Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Rizek Abdul Jawad)Mohammed Abu Daher, a displaced child, said he liked the olive tree and national flag painted on his face. "I hope the war will end soon so we can return to our homes and resume our normal lives. I miss my friends, my puppets, my school and my family," he said.
The war destroyed everything people were familiar with. A UN survey in June on the situation of children in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip showed the suffering of Gaza children: there is a serious shortage of safe drinking water; the incidence of skin diseases is rising; food aid is insufficient, and the serious lack of fresh vegetables, fruits and protein sources leads to health problems; school-age children cannot get any form of education and face serious risks including child labor; children who have lost their families are particularly vulnerable...
Volunteer activities may not be able to change the current situation of war, but in the "dark night" brought by war, volunteers continue to emit tiny lights, giving people hope. They are also thinking about how to let these lights illuminate more people.
Volunteers perform for local children at the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip (Photo taken on July 28). Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki)A few days ago, I met 19-year-old Palestinian student Rahaf Nasser in Deir al-Balah. She was forced to flee her home in the northern Gaza Strip. In her displaced life, she gradually got used to expressing her feelings through music. "I used to sing about love and happiness, but now I sing for my homeland ravaged by war," she said.
Nasser now often travels between ruins and makeshift tents, playing guitar and singing local songs in public places, with many children in the audience. Some of the audience members smile, while others seem to be reminiscing about the past.
Children interact with volunteers in a makeshift school in Deir al-Balah, a city in the central Gaza Strip (Photo taken on May 20). Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Rizek Abduljawad)In order to let more people see it, Nasser posted the singing video on social networking platforms. "Many people living outside the Gaza Strip think that we are used to war and death, but in fact we still love life and yearn for peace. This is what I want to express to the world through music." She said. (Translation: Huang Zemin)
