Palestinian mother recounts struggle to get food aid to four hungry children
World
"There is shooting and death, until I secured some flour, thank God," Dakka said
BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza (Reuters) – A Palestinian mother says she braved an exhausting journey from her tent in Gaza City to Zikim aid distribution site, west of Beit Lahiya, to bring food for her four hungry children.
Zainab Dakka, 32, had to go to an aid distribution site, as Palestinians reported frequent incidents of Israeli fire recently while they are seeking aid.
"There is shooting and death, until I secured some flour, thank God," Dakka said, as she kissed the bag of flour.
Her husband, injured in a car accident, could not go to secure food for his family, which forced the 32-year-old mother to brave the perilous journey.
Running back home panting, she was met by her hungry children.
"Here's my son and this is my daughter. Aren't you hungry my son? Tell them. Come my son, here's the flour, I brought flour to you. Thank God."
These aid distribution sites are run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the war-shattered Palestinian territory, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas.
The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF food distribution system began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites.
Israel has regularly said it took steps to avoid hitting civilians, and claimed its actions were justified as self-defence. It says the Palestinian militant group Hamas is to blame for refusing to release hostages and surrender, and for operating in civilian areas, which Hamas denies.
