jlk – Ramadan, the sacred month for Muslims, has arrived with cruel irony for the people of Gaza. The month in which Muslims fast during daylight hours has arrived amidst the looming threat of starvation.
Gaza residents have endured five months of war. Almost the entire population is now reliant on food aid to survive.
Life Amidst War
The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, has damaged food infrastructure and agricultural land throughout the region.
The global body responsible for declaring famine, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), reported on Monday that 1.1 million people – nearly half of Gaza’s population – are already hungry and the rest could face starvation by July.
Joyless Ramadan
In Gaza, a season typically full of joy marked by gatherings over traditional food and communal prayers is unrecognizable.
Homes usually adorned with lights have turned into rubble, and tables usually surrounded by family and filled with food lie empty.
Amidst the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where more than 31,000 people have been killed and over 25 have died of starvation.
According to Gaza officials, many Muslims are seeking refuge in God and observing fasting as evidence of their unwavering faith amidst deep hardship.
Lost Traditions and Looming Starvation
On the first day of Ramadan, Salem Sbeta, 48, and his family usually eat chicken and molokhia, a stew made from jute leaves.
Shopping and preparations for Ramadan usually start a month in advance and include decorating homes and buying ingredients for traditional sweets, such as qatayef – sweet filled pancakes – to be eaten after sunset.
However, this year, everything has changed. “Usually, we all gather, the whole family with me,” said Sbeta, who fled from Al Shuja’iyya, a neighborhood in Gaza City, to Rafah.
Conclusion
With conditions deteriorating, Gaza residents face the bleakest Ramadan amidst the war with Israel.
With starvation looming and traditions lost, this holy month brings more suffering than joy.
Yet amidst it all, their faith remains steadfast, demonstrating extraordinary strength and resilience amidst profound adversity.