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Palestine & Israel

‘This is life in Gaza’

Devoting the last four years to helping the sick and injured in Gaza, Sister Bridget Tighe tells of the devastation she witnesses on a daily basis.

Growing up in the small town of Ballindoon in County Sligo, I spent my childhood surrounded by beautiful coastlines and sandy beaches. When you first arrive in Gaza, it too seems just as beautiful – with miles upon miles of blue Mediterranean sea, lovely buildings, hotels and shops full of food.

Children of Gaza

Very quickly, however, you realise that the childhoods in Gaza are worlds apart from ours, and the peace, safety and carefree lives we enjoyed as children just don’t exist here.

Ola, a child psychologist in Gaza: Ola, a child psychologist in Gaza: "I counsel the children affected by the trauma of war. They have constant nightmares. They have completely changed. They have lost their minds, in a way. It's heart-breaking." Photo: John McColgan

Standing at the seaside, you smell the stench of raw sewage being pumped into the water making Gaza’s tap water toxic and undrinkable. Although there is food in the shops, people have no money buy it.

And in front of the lovely buildings, children fill the streets, begging for money – the only way many families can afford even a loaf of bread.

There is no time for school, and no time for play. Children know nothing about peace or what it means to have a normal and happy childhood. Some have already survived three major wars and have lived through horrors no child should ever know.

Lack of Medical Services

In Gaza, two million people are packed into a tiny strip of land, just 365 square kilometres long, cut off on all sides. They are living in extreme poverty, without access to clean water or basic sanitation. And inevitably, many people become sick.

Gaza’s medical services are being stretched to breaking point. The hospitals are understaffed, there aren’t enough beds and medical supplies are running critically low. Even if you need emergency medical care, you can’t leave Gaza. Not without permission from Egypt or the Israeli government. People in Gaza are trapped.

Sister Bridget in a clinic in Gaza. Photo: John McColgan Sister Bridget in a clinic in Gaza. Photo: John McColgan

In the clinic where I work, we can see up to 100 people a day. Many with wounds that aren’t healing, are getting infected and spreading, leading to amputations. I recently met a young dad with six children who was waiting quietly to be seen by the doctor. Desperate to feed his family, he had brought them to a camp along the border to find food. But instead he was shot at. Can you imagine getting shot searching for food to feed your family?

This is life in Gaza. No food. No money. No health care. Living in fear. The situation is reaching crisis level and is close to becoming unliveable. It is a life that many in Ireland could not imagine but sadly it is reality for millions.

Thanks to the support of people in Ireland, we are able to help bring much needed medical support to people suffering in Gaza, and despite the pain and misery they face, they continue to smile through it all. They have been through so much, have so little, and yet they carry on and are so grateful for the care they get.

For me it is a privilege to be in the Holy Land, and to walk the same ground Jesus would have, doing my small part to help those who need me most as best I can. I love Gaza and for as long as I am blessed with good health and energy, I will continue to help the children, women and men who call Gaza home.

To support Sister Bridget and help those in desperate need of medical care in Gaza donate now.

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