With continued violence hitting the region, displaced families have grown increasingly desperate. Certain situations involve a mother like Samar in Khan Younis’s al-Mawasi area, who, even in staying in a makeshift tent, continues to face-not only displacement but also at the hands of her husband, the horrors of domestic violence.
Uprooted several times over the past 14 months due to the ongoing war, the family is now in cramped and cold conditions. Recently, Samar suffered a brutal attack at the hands of her husband, leaving her with visible injuries. The incident unfolded in front of her children, adding emotional trauma to their physical hardships.
Yet Samar works hard to try to hold things together. With her eldest daughter, Laila, only 15, and her younger ones—Zain, Dana, Lana, and Adi—she struggles to carry on a routine of sort in the middle of much chaos. On the day Al Jazeera visited, she tried to work on schoolwork with Laila and Dana, but hunger and anxiety reign supreme in the small tent they call home now.
The loss of privacy in the present living situation adds to Samar’s agony. She remembers how much space she had to be herself, how she had lived. “I could control my children more in my home. Here, I live in the street, and the concealment from the world has vanished,” she says.
A nearby argument between another couple serves as an avid reminder of her situation, which is painful. Embarrassment washes over her as bad language drifts into their tent and she instinctively tries to shield her children from the harsh realities around them.
Karim, Samar’s husband, has his own despair. A carpenter who once worked hard, now he feels lost, unable to cope with the stress of war. He is ashamed of the violence he committed against Samar, hoping that a change may come. “I never imagined I could harm her,” he says, showing the toll their situation has taken on his mind.
As the family fights for food and stability, the psychological toll of such a position slowly begins to rear its head. Samar goes to support sessions with other women and finds some solace in shared experiences. Yet again, she has had to live with constant anxiety about her husband’s mood and the future.
The eldest daughter, Laila, is no exception to the turmoil. She sees the daily arguments and is concerned about her mother’s well-being. Trying to be strong for her family, she thinks of their life before the war and dreams of a better future.
This war is reflected in Gaza within the increased incidents of domestic violence reported among the families that have been displaced. Psychologists working here worry about the inadequacy of the support systems for those affected. Shame keeps many women from coming forward to tell their stories.
It has not only made the families shift but also brought a huge increase in the rate of divorce, along with traumatized children, including a 10-year-old boy who committed violence against other people due to being fed up with the fights between his family members.
While the situation in Gaza remains precarious, the way to recovery for both families and children is long and full of challenges. The schools are closed, there are no recreational areas, and the children are out in the harsh reality that many cannot begin to contemplate. These stories of such families are underlined with resilience and heartbreak that point to an urgent need for support and intervention in a region that is desperate for peace and stability.
