Is Gaza’s Suffering becoming a New Normal?

Two years have passed since October 7, 2023 – yet in Gaza, time seems to have slowed, every day weighed down with the unimaginable burden of sorrow and despair. Imagine a day when your home is falling apart, your community is shattered, the air around you is filled with dust, and the cries of your loved ones. This has been the reality of people of Gaza for 2 years. As the world marks 2 years of the brutal genocide in Gaza, the silence of inaction echoes just as loudly as the cries of those who have lost their precious lives to this bloodshed. The homes that once hummed with the pure joy and warmth of families now lie in ruins. Precious children wander bare feet amidst the rubble, looking for their parents, mothers still cradle the ghosts in place of children who will never return. Beneath every flattened building and amidst the dust of the rubble, there is a name, a story, and a heartbreak for a family that has been reduced to just statistics.

As of today, 67,139 Palestinians have been killed. An entire generation erased. Among them are 18,430 children, whose small hands that were supposed to be clutching books or their favorite stuffed toy now only remain in photographs. 9,735 women – mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters have perished. 27,605 men who were supposed to be someone’s shelter are now taken away. 4,429 elders who have been imparting wisdom to their grandchildren now lie among the rubble of homes that once echoed with the sounds of family dinners and evening prayers.

The living are no better off than the dead. 168,716 Palestinians have been injured, many maimed for life. Hospital, the few that are still standing overflow with pain. Out of 36 hospitals, only 14 remain partially functional, struggling to save lives with no medicines, no power, no hope, and the unimaginable burden of choosing between life and death for many, many patients in need of aid.

1.98 million Palestinians now face famine. Bread has become a memory, the idea of a well-cooked hot meal a fantasy for the people in Gaza. Mothers boil leaves to quite the growls of hunger of their precious children. Infants die in their mother’s arms, not from bombs but from hunger.  1.5 million sleep beneath torn tents, clutching one another against the bitter cold, not knowing what kind of destruction the next day will bring upon them. Nearly 1 million children of Gaza, carry loss on their tiny shoulders, their eyes that were supposed to carry big dreams, carry the invisible wounds of their loved ones. They draw pictures of bombs instead of flowers, and they dream of something as basic as food and a small, safe home. 658,000 school-aged children no longer have classrooms, teachers, those small, precious humans deprived of their chance of learning and dreaming. They have grown up too soon, witnessing the horrors that no child should ever see.

The price of humanity and mercy has been high; 1722 health workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, have been killed, many while performing surgeries under flashlights. 562 aid workers and 251 journalists have died trying to deliver truth and compassion to a world that seems to have forgotten how to care.

Nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced multiple times – averaging six relocations per family facing man-made famine, disease outbreaks, and blockade that severely restricts access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. In this harrowing context, Islamic Relief has served as a vital lifeline, channeling over $ 63 million in aid since October 2023 to support more than 600,000 people through adaptive, on-the-ground responses that prioritize survival, dignity, and resilience.

Amid the destruction of Gaza’s water infrastructure, where 97% of supplies are contaminated and daily access hovers at just 5 – 10 liters per person, well below the WHO’s minimum, Islamic Relief’s WASH initiative has been instrumental in averting widespread diseases. The organisation has delivered essential support to over 70,000 individuals with clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services, while extending operations to additional shelters across Khan Younis, Gaza City, and North Gaza. More than 68,000 hygiene and dignity kits, including items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, sanitary pads, diapers, towels, and razors, have reached families in dire need, helping to restore personal privacy and prevent infections in overcrowded tent communities where waterborne illnesses like Cholera threaten daily life.

Food insecurity has gripped Gaza, with over 244,000 people facing catastrophic hunger levels, exacerbated by the blockage and ongoing bombardment. IR has countered this through sustained nutrition programs, partnering with entities like WFP to distribute over 71 Million hot meals prepared in mobile kitchens amid the rubble. They’ve also provided clean drinking water to more than 930,000 people via trucking operations, reducing risks of dehydration and diseases alongside over 229,000 ready-to-eat meals and more than 1 million lipid-based nutrient supplements targeted at malnourished children. During the sacred period, this aid has taken on added cultural significance; in Ramadan 2024, donor-supported food packs reached over 396,400 individuals, offering staples to break fasts in times of scarcity. In Dhul Hijah 2024, qurbani donations supplied fresh meat to more than 127,400 people, providing a rare protein source. Eid celebrations brought fleeting joy, with gifts of clothing and toys distributed to over 9100 children across the 2 years, more than 5100 during Eid Ul Fitr and over 4000 for Eid Ul Adha in 2024, reminding young survivors of community and grief.

With 90% of buildings damaged or destroyed, shelter has become a fleeting commodity, forcing families into repeated displacement under harsh weather conditions. Islamic Relief’s rapid response to their Palestine Emergency Appeal has equipped over 69,000 displaced households with essential item kits, including warm blankets, mattresses, clothing, and kitchen sets, transforming makeshift tents into marginally habitable spaces. These distributions not only shield against Gaza’s extreme temperature but also foster a sense of self-reliance.

Children, bearing the war’s heaviest scars, number over 21,000 orphans, with many more awaiting assistance. Islamic Relief’s cash grant program has reached more than 21000 such children, providing urgent funds for food, clean water, and education to families like that of young Noor, who fled bombardment and lost their home and business. These grants, alongside psychosocial activities like art sessions where children draw symbols of hope, offer not just sustenance but a path to emotional recovery in a generation traumatized and burdened with loss.

Through these efforts, Islamic Relief has adapted relentlessly to the crisis, ensuring staff and partners operate safely while delivering aid that counters the genocide’s toll. Yet, with regional UN funding plans only 30% met and needs escalating, the organisation’s work underscores the power of global solidarity but also the urgent call for more support and ultimately a path to peace. For those who moved to contribute, Islamic Relief’s Palestine Emergency Appeal remains a direct channel to make a difference for our brothers and sisters in need.

Every demolished building carries the echo of a story that will never be told, a child that will never grow up, a family that will never be complete again. Every resilient Palestinian carries a wound that cannot heal – a name that can never be forgotten. But Gaza breathes still. Amid the rubble, a child’s voice still sings, a mother still whispers prayers of hope. Amid all the death and chaos, there is still faith in Palestinians. Let’s not forget Gaza even when the world turns a blind eye.