Food packages were distributed in southern Gaza to 1,200 of the poorest citizens as 200 families gathered in the town of Rafah to take home a generous bag of rice, oil, beans and other staples to help them through the fasting month of Ramadan.
“During Ramadan, we tend to eat more,” said Darweesha Salem, a widow whose five grown sons and 10 grandchildren live with her. They subsist on the vegetables that farmers sometimes give away, and the unreliable income her sons earn as day laborers.
“Sugar, rice and cooking oil are the most important food items.” These items are expensive and consumed very swiftly. Alaa’, her grandson, rejoiced, “I can’t believe my eyes!” when he found that juice was in the package and that he could have cheddar cheese for Sohour.
Azhaar El-Qadi has lived in Rafah for 12 years with her husband and seven children in a tiny studio apartment. Her husband is unemployed and her youngest daughter is mentally disabled. She and her husband can barely provide food on the table during the holy month of Ramadan due to the soaring price of food.
Azhaar said she and her family were overjoyed to receive the package. “Lentil and white beans are good for the Iftaar meal. Cheese and dates are very healthy for Sohour,” Azhaar said. “My kids were delighted when I opened the door with a box in my hands. When the package was opened, each one of them took out a favorite food. We live in very tough economic conditions and this box is our gift for this month.”
The blessings of Ramadan have already rained down on those whose generosity provided this much-needed nourishment for poor families in Gaza. It is not too late to donate generously during this sacred time and bring blessings on your own home and the home of a needy family.