Gaza Resident Appeals for Aid in Letter to Afghanistan International

A woman named Maha from the Rafah area in Gaza sent a letter and videos to Afghanistan International via social media, translated into Pashto using Google Translate, pleading for assistance ahead of Ramadan.

Maha, who says she was forcibly displaced by Israeli forces two years ago and now lives in Khan Younis with her five young children under worn-out tents, described her situation as dire. She stated she lacks food, clothing, winter garments, fuel, and proper shelter, warning that severe cold puts children, women, and the elderly at risk of death. "We have nothing; no tent, no winter clothes, and we can't even afford food. I beg my sisters and brothers in Afghanistan to help us. We are tired of this life and living in tents," Maha said in one video.

She requested help with tent rent, as the landowner threatens eviction, and warned of a "major humanitarian disaster" in the area. "The war has destroyed our homes and now without proper shelter, fuel, and winter clothes, we live in tents," she added, providing a contact number for urgent aid.

Since Israel's invasion of Gaza in October 2023, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and millions displaced, according to the report. Aid and human rights groups have warned of a worsening crisis. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously described the situation as "beyond catastrophe and beyond inhumanity."

The global Integrated Food Security Phase Classification network, comprising 21 aid organizations, warned of widespread famine affecting over 500,000 people, or a quarter of Gaza's population, and said continued Israeli restrictions on humanitarian convoys could dramatically increase famine and deaths.