SAFA - Managers of shelters for displaced people in the southern area of the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, called for urgent humanitarian intervention to provide water, food, healthcare, shelter, and hygiene supplies; support education; and protect children, widows, and people with disabilities. 

They stressed that the harsh humanitarian conditions in camps near the "Yellow Line" are being worsened by continued neglect, which is deepening residents’ suffering and threatening their ability to endure.

Managers of displacement shelters outlined the conditions of displaced people, including water shortages and deteriorating tents, a lack of healthcare and sanitation services, and the risks resulting from continued gunfire and shelling near the camps.

Sami Al-Daash, director of the shelters south of the Zeitoun neighborhood, said the shelters are located in a border area hosting several displaced communities. He noted that residents are living in deteriorating tents under extremely difficult conditions, amid a constant and growing threat.

Al-Daash explained that Israeli occupation forces recently moved the "Yellow Line" concrete blocks westward, accompanied by indiscriminate gunfire. He stressed that the danger increases particularly at night, as military vehicles approach the line and gunfire and artillery shelling take place.

He added that displacement camp residents are unable to leave during these periods, and even when they are forced to move, they do so with extreme caution. He noted that indiscriminate gunfire has targeted several areas, resulting in injuries and the deaths of other civilians.

Water Shortages and Critical Service Gaps

Al-Daash said that the share of water allocated to a single family of six to seven people does not exceed approximately 20 liters of drinking water. He stressed that the camps near the "Yellow Line" suffer from neglect and a lack of attention.

He pointed out that around 200 widows live in the camps south of Zeitoun, alongside large numbers of children and families struggling to secure their basic needs.

Regarding education, he said camp administrators had begun preparing tents to turn them into classrooms in preparation for the new academic year. However, attendance remains below the required level due to the ongoing security threat and Israeli gunfire.

Al-Daash called for educational initiatives targeting children in displacement camps, stressing that residents had held a protest and burned several tents in protest against the poor conditions in which they are living.

He explained that some displaced people from Zeitoun have been unable to return to their areas after being displaced to the southern Gaza Strip because there are no available places where they can set up tents. He noted that some humanitarian organizations have refused to work with the camps, citing the risks faced by their field teams due to the area’s proximity to the "Yellow Line."

Lack of Healthcare

The sanitation crisis is further worsening residents’ suffering, according to Al-Daash, who explained that families share toilets amid the absence of infrastructure and sewage networks. This forces them to build soakaway pits, which over time become health and environmental hazards.

He stressed the need for a medical point within the area, given the camps’ distance from hospitals and the difficulty ambulances face in reaching them, particularly amid the extensive destruction and the changed landscape of the Zeitoun neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Reem Erhaim, director of the Farah Camp in the Zeitoun neighborhood, said the camp faces major difficulties, most notably water shortages and a lack of transportation. She noted that children are forced to travel long distances in search of water.

Erhaim added that some families go for days without safe drinking water, while widows, particularly those with children, face significant difficulties in meeting their families’ needs. She also highlighted the difficulty of transporting sick people to hospitals when necessary.

Erhaim called on international organizations to provide aid to the camps in Zeitoun, noting that women’s organizations had refused to assist women in tents near the "Yellow Line," despite repeated requests for support.

She explained that displacement camps’ residents are undertaking their own initiatives to support children amid the deterioration of their psychological well-being. She stressed that the camps lack lighting at night and need the basic necessities required to endure.

Widows and Children Struggle to Survive 

Susan Samama, a member of the women’s committee at Dar Al-Salam Camp, said residents have lost many basic necessities, including food and water, and no longer have even the minimum requirements for a decent life.

She added that children are forced to travel long distances to meet their families’ needs, while patients require medication, and families with newborns need milk and diapers.

She pointed out that the loss of security and the ability to provide for families are among the main challenges facing residents. She stressed that widows bear the responsibility of supporting their children under harsh conditions, while children are experiencing severe psychological distress.

Displacement Camps Left Without Support 

Mohammad Shaldan, director of Dar Al-Salam Camp in Zeitoun, said the genocidal war has exhausted Gaza’s residents despite their ability to endure, stressing that this ability has limits.

Shaldan explained that the camp administration formed a team to communicate with international organizations and various institutions, but the repeated response was that their teams were unable to reach areas near the "Yellow Line."

Shaldan stressed that camp residents remain determined to stay despite the risks. He noted that Israeli occupation forces often push the "Yellow Line" westward, leaving residents in a constant state of fear.

He noted that there are initiatives and charitable food kitchens providing meals to displaced people in Zeitoun. However, the camps’ proximity to the "Yellow Line" limits the ability of some organizations to reach them. He stressed that local efforts to support residents’ resilience are continuing.

He highlighted the need to replace the tents and provide hygiene supplies, explaining that children are forced to walk at least one kilometer to reach educational points.

Taysir Malaka, public relations officer for the camps in the southern area of Zeitoun, said there is neglect in dealing with the camps south of Gaza City, particularly regarding the spread of rodents.

He explained that rats are attacking displaced people, particularly those with disabilities, forcing some of them to leave their tents. He called for urgent aid for residents and improvements to the health and environmental conditions in the camps.

Source : Safa News