Zeenat and her husband, Moamen Abu Asr, live with their children in a flimsy canvas tent, one of thousands that now line Gaza\u2019s coastline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once a place of rest and leisure, the beach has become a last refuge for Palestinians displaced by relentless Israeli bombardment and military operations.<\/p>\n
As displacement orders push people into ever smaller pockets of land, the strip of coast around Gaza\u2019s seaport has turned into a makeshift camp. Its frayed tents and overcrowded conditions reflect the gravity of a humanitarian crisis that has plunged to unprecedented depths after more than 600 days of conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas.<\/p>\n
The seaport, once a centre of Gaza\u2019s fishing economy, is now a wasteland. All the boats have been destroyed, and in their place stands a sprawling encampment \u2013 a harsh and barren environment with almost none of the basic necessities for survival.<\/p>\n
Moamen Abu Asr fixing a water tank by his tent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A family with nothing left<\/strong><\/h2>\nMoamen and his family have been living in the camp for around two months, surviving in a tent cobbled together from salvaged mats and broken utensils recovered from nearby rubble.<\/p>\n
He sits outside with his children, scrolling through pictures on his phone \u2013 fragments of a past life left behind in Shujaiya, east of Gaza City, when residents were ordered to evacuate without warning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been times when we\u2019ve been displaced once every two months,\u201d he told UN News. \u201cEvery day is suffering for us. We came to Gaza port with no food, no water \u2013 not even our iron tent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is nothing of life\u2019s basics for us,\u201d he said. To feed his family, Moamen repairs small water tanks for five shekels \u2013 about $1.43 \u2013 barely enough for anything in a place where prices have soared. \u201cOne kilo of flour is a hundred shekels [around $28.60],\u201d he explained. \u201cOur situation is very difficult, and we do not know what to do. By God, this is not life. We would rather die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Flies](\"https:\/\/global.unitednations.entermediadb.net\/assets\/mediadb\/services\/module\/asset\/downloads\/preset\/Libraries\/Production%20Library\/31-05-2024_UN%20News_%20Gaza%20Port%203.jpg\/image1170x530cropped.jpg\" "\\"Flies")
\n<\/div>\nFlies hover over one of the Abu Asr family’s sleeping children in their tent in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018We live on water\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe humanitarian situation has worsened since March, when Israeli authorities imposed a complete blockade on aid. Though this was slightly eased in recent weeks, the limited trickle of supplies cannot meet the overwhelming demand. Desperate civilians, starving and fearful, have resorted to looting whatever aid does arrive.<\/p>\n
In their tent, Zeenat washes a few cooking utensils \u2013 all she could find in the communal makeshift kitchen. Most days, there is no food to prepare.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday I cried a lot about my son,\u201d she said. \u201cHe told me, \u2018Mum, I want to eat.\u2019 I stood helpless, not knowing what to do. The food didn\u2019t come from the charity kitchen. We now live on fresh water. I recommend it to my children to help fill their stomachs. Today, thank God, we got a plate of food and ate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Zeinat](\"https:\/\/global.unitednations.entermediadb.net\/assets\/mediadb\/services\/module\/asset\/downloads\/preset\/Libraries\/Production%20Library\/31-05-2024_UN%20News_%20Gaza%20Port%204.jpg\/image1170x530cropped.jpg\" "\\"Zeinat")
\n<\/div>\nZeinat Abu Asr describes the hardship her family is facing in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018Enough is enough\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nConditions in the tent are dire. Flies swarm everywhere, and stray dogs \u2013 thin and hungry \u2013 prowl nearby. \u201cYesterday, a dog came into the tent and was pulling on a tarpaulin while my son was sleeping. I thought it was pulling my baby. I screamed and my husband kicked the dog out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know where to go or what to do. They uprooted us. Our hearts are extinguished. We can\u2019t be patient anymore. Our patience has run out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tents scattered along Gaza\u2019s coastline are a stark symbol of the deepening humanitarian tragedy. The cries of hunger are louder than any voice of hope. There is no shelter left \u2013 only the sea remains.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\nFlies hover over one of the Abu Asr family’s sleeping children in their tent in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018We live on water\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe humanitarian situation has worsened since March, when Israeli authorities imposed a complete blockade on aid. Though this was slightly eased in recent weeks, the limited trickle of supplies cannot meet the overwhelming demand. Desperate civilians, starving and fearful, have resorted to looting whatever aid does arrive.<\/p>\n
In their tent, Zeenat washes a few cooking utensils \u2013 all she could find in the communal makeshift kitchen. Most days, there is no food to prepare.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday I cried a lot about my son,\u201d she said. \u201cHe told me, \u2018Mum, I want to eat.\u2019 I stood helpless, not knowing what to do. The food didn\u2019t come from the charity kitchen. We now live on fresh water. I recommend it to my children to help fill their stomachs. Today, thank God, we got a plate of food and ate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/div>\nZeinat Abu Asr describes the hardship her family is facing in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018Enough is enough\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nConditions in the tent are dire. Flies swarm everywhere, and stray dogs \u2013 thin and hungry \u2013 prowl nearby. \u201cYesterday, a dog came into the tent and was pulling on a tarpaulin while my son was sleeping. I thought it was pulling my baby. I screamed and my husband kicked the dog out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know where to go or what to do. They uprooted us. Our hearts are extinguished. We can\u2019t be patient anymore. Our patience has run out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tents scattered along Gaza\u2019s coastline are a stark symbol of the deepening humanitarian tragedy. The cries of hunger are louder than any voice of hope. There is no shelter left \u2013 only the sea remains.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\nZeinat Abu Asr describes the hardship her family is facing in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n