“I used to have a quiet and a peaceful life. In a rented house, we gathered as a family. In a day and a night, I became a displaced mother with more responsibilities and unbearable burdens. I miss myself. I miss my old life.”
At Nasser Medical complex in Khan Younis City, Nihad Abu Habel, a 30-year-old mother, and her four children, the youngest of which is 10 months old, are forced to live in a tent since escaping death and bombing in Jabalya.
“During the first 13 days of the war, we moved to four different locations. Every time we arrived in an area, a nearby house was targeted. It was getting very dangerous and risky that I wanted to evacuate.
My husband refused. Most men in my family also refused to evacuate their homes, but I wanted to protect my children and I had to make a difficult decision that I left the area by myself carrying my four children,” she said.
According to the latest numbers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), more than 1.3 million people are living in UN shelters, more than four times as many as they are designed for.
Because they are overcrowded, more people are forced to live in public schools, clinics and hospitals. According to the UN available data, more than 1.9 million people are displaced as a result of the war.
Along with Nihad’s family, around 30,000 people are in the Nasser complex.
“The evacuation journey was very tough for me. I packed small bags for my children and packed another one for myself which I could barely hold as I was also carrying my youngest son and his bouncer. I begged people on our way to carry some stuff and help me until I reached the medical facility. I was shocked when I entered here. Nothing was provided to me or my kids. People felt bad because I was alone and gave me this tent and one mattress for the five of us. It’s very cold at night, very hot during the day, and I could not leave it because I was alone. I was scared, not only from the bombing, but also from the responsibility.”
“The hardest thing here is the use of bathroom. Although we do not eat much, we still need to use the bathrooms. We’ve used it only twice in four days and it takes us from 30 to 60 minutes. I have also to walk the kids there and wait to help them as it is very dirty and risky. My husband joined us one week ago, now I ask him to accompany the boys.” As for Nihad, she has taken only one shower in 40 days and she had to wait in line for two hours. She was disgusted with the situation and felt extremely depressed.
It's a far cry from her old life where, despite being the busy mother of young children, she could still enjoy her own quiet time.
“In my home, I used to wait until everyone was out of the house, going to school and kindergarten to enjoy moments of peace. I prepared a mug of coffee and enjoyed the tranquility. It was the time I considered my own. Now, I do not have the luxury of having my own time. It is affecting my personality as well. I have become very moody and angry. A couple of days ago, my husband and I had a harsh discussion over a very stupid thing, but I could not handle it. I exploded, cried, screamed, and I left the tent and went out to the street around the hospital to cry by myself in the night.
Those were two hours of my own time. My own time that I used to cry.”
“In our community, mothers are always required to take care of the kids, do the housework and even more. And it has not changed here in the tent. It’s got even worse. My children have changed a lot. They are mostly angry, disappointed and sad. And because they are emotional, they eat a lot, and we cannot provide them with the food they need.
In addition, due to the lack of electricity, water, and food, I’ve had to do many tasks that I have not done in my life. I wash clothes by hand, I am using a wood fire to cook, and I walked long roads to reach food supplies.
The emotional pain is one thing, but the physical pain is another thing. I sometimes cannot sleep because of my muscle pain, and sleeping on a mattress with four children is so tiring.”
The children are very frightened during the bombing.
“When I am scared, I hug my mother, she gives me safety. I feel safe with her,” said Nihad’s son Yazan. Nihad laughed while he talked.
“The four of them grab me and hug me so that I cannot breathe. Sometimes, I want also to hug someone and cry and to express fear, but I cannot, they would collapse,” Nihad says.
Even before the war, Nihad had known great difficulties.
“The economic situation for my family is very hard. I was married when I was 15. A very early marriage. I did not have access to education and a career. Sometimes, I wish I had opportunities when I was young, maybe I could have supported my family better with financial resources. But for now, all what I wish for is for this war to end, for my children to grow in peace and to live a decent life.”
We asked Nihad, why she had wished for nothing for herself? She laughed and said, “I want to get my own time back, to enjoy a dignified home, a shower and a good meal.”
© 2026 United Nations Development Programme
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