Hossam Al-Amsi: Endless struggles of displacement amid NGO’s relief efforts

Hossam Mohamed Al-Amsi is a 42-year-old Palestinian from Gaza. He lives, along with his wife and five children in a shelter tent at Al Tawba Camp in Deir Al-Balah, in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip, where they have been enduring harsh conditions, including extreme heat and the inconvenience of biting insects around.

Hossam is originally from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in eastern Gaza. He became displaced in November 2023 after the stated evacuation orders by the Israeli Occupational Foces (IOF) to evacuate to so-called “safe zones” in the south.

Initially, Hossam and his family sought refuge in Al-Bureij Camp with their relatives. “We went to Al-Bureij in December. Afterward, we had to move to Rafah, where we stayed for about a month and a half until Rafah had become under fire as well.” he explains. Forced to flee again, they returned to Al-Bureij, only to flee once more when the camp was targeted. Recently, Hossam’s family evacuated to Deir Al-Balah where they took shelter in a makeshift tent.

Before October 2023, Hossam used to be a public employee in Gaza, but now he is jobless, without any income prospects to support his family. Speaking to an SDF staff member (within a food distribution relief intervention), Hossam says: “My house in Gaza is entirely destroyed. I have nothing left to return to.”

Living in a tent is unbearable; extreme heat in the summer, humidity, and insects everywhere. We suffer from water shortages; it sometimes takes five days to have access to water. Clean and filtered is very expensive, and the demand is overwhelming. We stand in waiting queues of over 150 people waiting for water.

Hossam Al-Amsi

Despite these hardships, Hossam appreciates the relief efforts made by NGOs. He highlighted the provision and distribution of vegetable parcels by SDF in partnership with the Welfare Association saying: “This is crucial for us as displaced families. A kilo of tomatoes costs 15 shekels ($4). I couldn’t afford to buy vegetables for my family. This kind of intervention is relieving.”

Being displaced, do you have hope? We asked Hossam. He answered: “I hear some good insights in the news. My only hope is that this genocide ends so that I can return to my home—even if I have to establish another tent of the remains of my home. Home is home.”