Om Shadi Al-Ar’eer: Settledness after hard and repetitive displacement
Her family was forced to flee at the beginning of the Israeli genocide on Gaza on the very first morning of the 7th of October 7, 2023. The family had to forcibly flee under bombardment on Al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City to Al-Sabra neighborhood in the south. The displacement journey continued for months, with the family moving from one city to another and from one area to another.
Upon the Israeli Occupational Force’s threats on October 13, Om Shadi had to flee south of the Gaza Strip. She had to move to Khan Younis city, where she spent a night with a family that hosted her before seeking another place in Rafah city where a young man welcomed and assisted her family, hosting them in his own house.
“People were fighting over who would host us” says Om Shadi, describing how they lived for seven and a half months. Then, they had to flee Rafah after the IOF’s updated threats, prompting them to head to Deir al-Balah, where the family lived in a mosquito-infested agricultural area within extreme heat and in convenient conditions.
This long displacement journey came to an end when the Social Developmental Forum (SDF) provided shelter for Om Shadi and her family settle in the T4P camp in Deir al-Balah, established in partnership with the Welfare Association.
We were welcomed by young SDF staff members; Rayan, Ibrahim and others who greeted us with tea and cold water. They allowed us to choose the tent that suited us best. They were very kind and respectful.
Om Shadi says
Two months later, Om Shadi feels it is much better here, remembering her family that is living in a dignified situation. She adds, “Whatever we need, they (the SDF team) provide, ensuring all means of our comfort.”
Om Shadi praises the provision of energy for charging phones and the availability of daily use and drinking water. These are essential services for displaced people.
She appreciates the SDF’s ongoing efforts, particularly the distribution of vegetables and food parcels, which is significant amid rocketing prices and difficult circumstances. She also highlights the importance of distributing bedding, blankets, and water containers, meeting the needs of the displaced community, and supporting their resilience.
It is worth noting that the T4P camp provides shelter for 50 displaced families (400 individuals) from various areas across the Gaza Strip. The SDF established this camp in partnership with the Welfare Association to provide shelter to families who had nowhere to go, after the Israeli invasion of Rafah.
