Latest news with #Afaf
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
‘Forgotten by the world': Disability deepens sisters' struggle in Gaza
Shati refugee camp, Gaza – Inside a stifling tent in Shati, one of Gaza's overcrowded displacement camps, 30-year-old Raneem Abu Al-Eish cares for her sisters, Aseel, 51, and Afaf, 33. They sit close to Raneem, laughing at times and at others growing agitated when the cries of children playing outside get too loud. Aseel and Afaf suffer from celiac disease and intellectual disabilities that impair their speech, understanding, and behaviour – conditions that have only deepened under the strain of war and displacement. They struggle to express themselves, often overwhelmed by their environment, Raneem explains. While she doesn't know the medical term for their condition, the symptoms at times mirror Tourette syndrome. The cramped tent shelters seven family members: Raneem, her two sisters, their elderly parents, and another sister with her husband. Raneem's mother is frail, and her father is still recovering from an injury sustained in Israel's relentless war on Gaza, leaving Raneem to shoulder their care alone. The family used to live in Jabalia camp's Block 2, until Israel destroyed their home eight months ago. Since then, they have moved from relatives' homes to makeshift shelters, then to an overcrowded United Nations school. Now they are in this tent, which traps sweltering heat by midday and lets the bitter cold seep through its thin walls in the night. Privacy and dignity are nearly impossible in the crowded tent. 'When they need to change, we try to get the others to step out,' Raneem says. 'But it's not always possible.' Yet that is only part of the ordeal for Aseel and Afaf, who are bullied daily due to their conditions. 'People don't understand what my sisters go through,' Raneem says softly. 'They judge by appearances, assuming they're fine. But they aren't. They need care, patience, dignity.' Life in the camp overwhelms Aseel. 'She finds it hard to cope with noise or sudden changes,' Raneem explains. 'When that happens, she gets distressed – she shouts, cries, sometimes lashes out.' Afaf, meanwhile, struggles with involuntary movements and impulsive behaviours. 'A small argument or loud voice can trigger her,' Raneem adds. 'She doesn't know how to control it,' she says, which makes it all the more sad that Afaf is frequently targeted for mockery, especially by children. Using communal bathrooms brings repeated humiliation. 'Every bathroom visit becomes a spectacle. People laugh, make cruel remarks, and it devastates them,' Raneem says. The family's greatest blow came six months ago, when Mohammad, Raneem's 22-year-old brother, was taken by Israel. Mohammad had gone to Kamal Adwan Hospital for surgery after a hand injury. While he was there, Israel raided the hospital on October 25 and seized Mohammad. Since then, the family knows nothing about his whereabouts. Mohammad was the sibling most adept at navigating the outside world. 'He got their medicines, managed hospital visits, dealt with aid agencies,' Raneem explains. 'Without him, we're completely alone.' Since his detention, the sisters face worsening food shortages and a lack of medical care. 'He was their protector,' Raneem says, her voice breaking. 'Now we have no one.' Between March and May, intensified bombing again displaced 436,000 Palestinians, many for the second, third or fourth time since the October 2023 beginning of the war. For families like Raneem's – already in tents or shelters – each new wave of violence means starting over again, often without food or medicine. For Aseel and Afaf, even basic nutrition is rife with threats. Celiac sufferers cannot eat gluten, which damages their small intestines. In a starving Gaza where there is little to eat other than wheat-flour bread, which contains gluten, there is little chance that Raneem can find vegetables or meat for the sisters, especially with Mohammad detained. Without gluten-free flour, Aseel and Afaf risk severe malnutrition, and they have gotten a dismally small amount of the 80 tonnes of gluten-free flour that aid agencies have thus far delivered to Gaza. Much of it was blocked by closed borders, damaged roads, and broken distribution systems. 'The little that reaches us is too expensive or too late,' Raneem says. Before the war, Aseel and Afaf had routine medical care at Kamal Adwan Hospital. Their conditions required special diets, medication, and regular therapy, needs now nearly impossible to meet. Psychological specialist Dr Sara al-Wahidi says the war has sharply worsened the marginalisation of people with disabilities in Gaza. 'We've seen people with disabilities become separated from [their families in] displacement areas – some missing for long periods, sadly later found deceased,' she explains. A 2025 report estimates that at least 15 percent of Gaza's displaced population lives with a disability, and they have to navigate the makeshift shelters, whether in encampments, schools, or hospitals, that lack functioning ramps, adapted toilets and basic accessibility. Raneem also battles social stigma, and despite her efforts – talking with neighbours, seeking support from community elders – ignorance persists. 'People provoke them, mock them. All we ask is understanding,' she says. Some elders occasionally invite the sisters to their tents for a visit, brief moments of respite in a daily reality where they have no consistent medical or social support. 'We've been displaced again and again, from Jabalia to the west, then Gaza City,' Raneem recounts. 'Every new place, we have to start over, explaining their condition, begging for patience. 'These aren't just war victims,' she pleads. 'They're vulnerable people forgotten by the world.'
Hype Malaysia
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
(Video) LRT3 Engineer Gives A Rare Behind-The-Scenes Look At Nearly Complete Station
Public transport can be a massive boon to society. In an age where productivity is worshipped and sought after, more ways to get places are welcome. Time and time again, making dreams happen involves massive logistics, and making rails and train carts safe is such a challenge. As Malaysia gears up for the grand opening of the Light Rail Transit Line 3 (LRT3), which will take place later this year, a heartwarming TikTok video by one of the engineers behind the project has taken the internet by storm — and for all the right reasons. On 21st April (Monday), passion, pride and jittery excitement bleed out of one of the engineers who identifies as Afaf, showing users a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the soon-to-be operational Stadium Shah Alam station. The station will form part of the rail line connecting Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Klang. The empty ticket gates, corridors, and ticket machines bear witness to infectious smiles and laughter as the peppy engineer prances across the screen. One of the standout moments is the paper QR-code ticket system finally being up and running. Afaf retrieves a QR ticket and scans it at the ticket barrier, which opens. The successful operation makes her thrilled, and the energy is reflected in the comments: 'Finally, I can go to the Ramadan bazaar at Stadium Shah Alam without driving.' Another user noted, 'Akak has shifted my perspective, I always felt down when working in construction, being buried with issues and setbacks, but seeing a complete project is deeply satisfying.' Fascinating how a milestone turns a mundane task of getting a ticket to go to work becomes a sentimental memory, truly showing everybody's journey is different. While initially announced in 2013, the latest opening date of LRT3 is 30th September 2025. Here's hoping everything goes smoothly! Watch the viral clip below: Sources: TikTok, NST Gan contributed to this article.
