Update from Sawsan, my friend in Gaza

Portrait of a young Palestinian Woman wearing a hijab inside a weather torn tent

It is the Month of Ramadan (Feb 18 - March 20)

Sawsan continues to struggle with providing enough food for her family of 13 - aid is still very limited getting into Gaza, the genocide has never ended as tents and humans continue to be bombed. Prices have risen again, making it especially hard to prepare suhoor (meal before first prayer before dawn) and iftar (fast breaking evening meal).

Back of a Palestinian woman wearing a brown hijab and a black coat, facing the rubble of her home and business.

Below you can read Sawsan’s thoughts during this time:

1) Our thoughts while preparing suhoor and iftar and making duaa in Ramadan:

“While preparing suhoor and iftar inside our tent, we do not only think about the food itself, but about how to provide it in the first place. We face great difficulty in obtaining and buying food due to high prices and lack of resources. Sometimes we stand helpless, unsure of what we can manage to provide for my family. The weather is also very cold inside our tent, and the cold increases our suffering, especially during the early hours before dawn.

The war has not ended as they say. The bombing is still ongoing, and we continue to hear the sound of warplanes in the sky. This increases our children’s fear and turns moments that should be peaceful—like iftar and suhoor—into times filled with anxiety instead of comfort.

Despite all of this, we raise our hands in prayer, asking for the bombing to stop, for our children and my family to sleep without fear, and for God to grant us patience and strength. Despite the harshness of our circumstances, Ramadan always reminds us to hold on to faith and hope.”

Make-shift stove, fire lit, with cooking pot

2) Facts we want the world to know about what is happening in Gaza:

“The reality in Gaza is much harsher than what appears in the news. We are not just numbers in reports; we are families trying to survive each day amid the lack of the most basic necessities of life—clean water, safe shelter, and security. Fear never leaves us, and loss is present everywhere. We want the world to know that we are human beings who deserve to live with dignity and peace.”

3) Our wishes in Ramadan:

“Our greatest wish in this blessed month is safety—to live without the sound of bombing, to have a real home instead of a worn-out tent, and to see smiles on our children’s faces without fear. We also hope to return to our village one day and for me to rebuild my agricultural project that I lost because of the war, so I can start a stable and dignified life for my family. We pray that people continue to stand by us and do not forget Gaza.”

We ask God to make this month a time of goodness and relief for all of us 🤍

Qatayef - a sweet dessert, eaten during Ramadan.