'Julie's birth was a battle for survival from the very first'

A MOTHER in Gaza whose two children have known only war in their short lives has shared her dream for a future in which they can live "without fear".

- By Hanna Geissler Health Editor

Ranin Awad gave birth to son Jamal just a month before Hamas' October 7 2023 terror attacks on Israel began a war that forced millions of Palestinians to flee and reduced neighbourhoods to rubble.

Daughter Julie was born three months ago, and "the first sounds she ever heard were bombardment". Ranin said: "Each day feels like a race to keep the children fed and warm while the world outside grows quieter and more dangerous. "I rock Julie and listen to the distant sounds of conflict, praying that tonight will pass safely. I wake up grateful that we are still together, and every night I wonder how much longer we can endure."

Ranin, 26, who works as a fundraising coordinator with Christian Aid's partner the Women's Affairs Center, was raised in Gaza City.

With husband Mohammed, she has been displaced 12 times since the conflict began, "leaving behind memories, neighbours and pieces of the life I once knew". Ranin said life has become "a daily struggle for survival". Electricity is scarce, while water is rationed but still causes stomach problems and sickness despite being boiled first.

She added: "Shops are shuttered, roads blocked and even the most basic supplies - bread, clean water, medicine are scarce."

Research last month by Christian Aid showed prices have skyrocketed in Gaza: eggs are up to £40 a dozen, a packet of 64 nappies costs £56 and cucumbers fetch £8 a kilo.

More than 54,600 under-fives in the enclave are estimated to be acutely malnourished and in need of urgent therapeutic nutrition and healthcare, a study reveals today.