Mothers in the Gaza Strip are forced to use plastic bags as diapers

Since Israeli attacks began on October 7, a devastating humanitarian crisis has unfolded in Gaza, leaving families uncertain as to when their lives will return to normal.

As previously noted by UNICEF, in times of war and conflict, the most vulnerable populations, particularly children, are often affected by the greatest and most devastating impacts. This has also been true in Gaza, where infants and their parents are the most affected.

Currently, mothers in the Gaza Strip face a severe shortage of essentials for their children, with essentials either hard to find or completely unaffordable.

“This genocide is a genocide of our children and their lives. What did they do to deserve such harsh conditions?”

These fighting are exacerbated by frequent delays and blockages in aid deliveries due to ongoing Israeli restrictions and fighting.

As conditions continue to deteriorate, The new Arab spoke to mothers in Gaza to understand how they are managing to care for their children, especially as winter approaches and conditions in refugee camps worsen.

Plastic bags and wipes as diaper alternatives

One of the first problems the mothers reported The new Arab What I spoke to was the lack of access to diapers.

All women surveyed said that they could not afford diapers due to price increases and therefore had to rely on makeshift alternatives.

Rana Medhat, a resident of Az Zawayda who gave birth to her second daughter Toleen just a month before the Israeli attack on Gaza, said: “Ever since this attack began, it has been a struggle every day to afford diapers for my little girl. “

Rana explained that before the conflict, she and her husband Yousef could buy a pack of diapers for less than $5, but that price had increased dramatically.

She also discovered that every dollar she spends on diapers for her baby is one less dollar available for other essential needs.

Given these high prices, Rana faced overwhelming challenges in caring for her newborn and had to resort to various makeshift solutions.

Occasionally, Rana visits the nursery at a nearby hospital in the hope of finding replacement diapers. At other times, she dries used diapers in the sun and tries to reuse them despite the hygiene risks. Worst case scenario, Rana has no choice but to let her baby sit in a dirty diaper until she can get more, which affects her baby’s delicate skin.

The other two mothers also had similar problems.

For example, Mona Ruqa’a explained that she finds it difficult to afford diapers for her young son, especially since she has another child who also needs them.

Highlighting the drastic price increase since the genocide began, she explained that a pack of diapers that once cost about 12 shekels (about $3.50) now costs a staggering 220 shekels.

“Imagine how many diapers my babies need a month,” she lamented, highlighting the overwhelming financial burden on her family.

Because of these high costs, Mona is sometimes forced to use plastic bags or pieces of cloth when she cannot get diapers.

Like Rana, Mona said this causes “my children to suffer from skin infections”.

“I have no choice,” Mona said.

Huda also expressed her concern and said, “My husband and I are constantly worried about our daughter Mira. We have difficulty finding baby food, formula, diapers and other essentials.”

Huda continued: “My daughter suffers from terrible skin infections because I can’t get her diapers.”

She added tearfully: “This genocide is a genocide against our children and their lives. What have they done to deserve such harsh conditions?”

Crushed cookies and ground rice instead of baby food

Mothers in the Gaza Strip also suffer from a lack of access to baby food, which leads to an early death sentence for many innocent children.

Mona shared her experience with the unavailability of formula, explaining that she is sometimes forced to give her four-month-old son crushed cookies and ground rice, even though healthcare providers usually recommend waiting to introduce solid foods until the child is six months old.

Although Mona is aware of the health risks, she said helplessly: “But what options do I have?”

Similarly, Huda explained, “Baby food is also hard to find and I couldn’t make it for Mira when she was hungry.”

She added: “Over time, my body started producing less milk for Mira and she cried with hunger even after I fed her. I wish I could explain to her that it wasn’t a choice; I was hungry too and wanted to feed her until she was full.”

Like Mona, Huda had to rely on her baby’s complementary foods.

“Soon I had no choice but to feed Mira our own food – rice or soup made from well water. “Each bite filled me with pain and guilt, fearing what it might do to her body,” Huda lamented.

A worrying future

Looking to the future, with no end to this genocide in sight, the conditions these children face due to lack of care present a worrying prospect for their health and chances of survival.

Between June and October 2024, 3,421 babies and children under five were treated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the inpatient children’s ward at Nasser Hospital, with almost a quarter (22 percent) of cases attributed to diarrhea and 8.9 percent to meningitis were .

“We treat infants with infectious and respiratory diseases as well as skin diseases.”

During the same period, 168 newborns under one month old and more than 10,800 children between one and five years old were treated for upper respiratory tract infections in the emergency room of Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

In addition, about 1,294 children between the ages of one and five years old were admitted to Nasser Hospital for lower respiratory tract infections, with about 459 cases of pneumonia.

Dr. Mohammad Abu Tayyem, an Médecins Sans Frontières pediatrician who works at Nasser Hospital, where over 300 pediatric patients are treated daily, described the current reality The new Arab, “We treat infants with infectious and respiratory diseases as well as skin diseases.

“Of course we saw this before the genocide, but today we are seeing it much more frequently and the numbers continue to rise. We are seeing overcrowding in the department, including children with acute pneumonia.”

No more genocide

All mothers have thoughtfully called for an end to this deadly genocide so that they can raise their children the way they deserve.

As Mona puts it: “As a mother, all I want is to give my children a safe home, nutritious food and clean water. I want them to continue their education and achieve their dreams. It is heartbreaking to see how our lives are limited by this condition, and I often wonder if things will ever improve.

“I wish the world could take a moment to truly understand our pain and suffering – maybe then this genocide would finally come to an end.”

Eman Alhaj Ali is a Palestinian freelance journalist, author, translator and storyteller based in Gaza and published on various international and local websites

Follow her on X: @EmanAlhajAli1