Esraa Kamal al-Jamalan, who was almost eight months pregnant at the time, along with her husband and their five-year-old son, had to flee their home in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan after it was bombed by Israel in late October. They walked over three kilometers to al-Shifa Hospital, taking only a few lightweight T-shirts and trousers with them, expecting to return home soon.
Two months later, the 28-year-old mother and her family are living in one of the many makeshift tents in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza with no way to protect their newborn from the cold winter weather. When it began to rain, Esraa and her husband tried to find shelter from the water seeping through their tent. They have been struggling without warm clothing and blankets, making it difficult to keep their daughter warm. They cannot take her outside near the fires that people are burning for warmth, as the smoke affects her breathing.
Esraa gave birth to her daughter on November 24 and the family is facing challenges as they have not been able to vaccinate her yet. They have never experienced anything like this before and are worried about their daughter’s health and safety.