Latest news with #HumansofNewYork
Days of Palestine
3 days ago
- Health
- Days of Palestine
American Doctor: Israel Deliberately Targets Children
DaysofPal—American pediatrician and member of the Board of Directors of Doctors Without Borders in the US, Aqsa Dourani, shared her testimony after a humanitarian mission in Gaza, confirming that 'Israel deliberately uses cruelty and evil' in a genocide against the population there. In her testimony published on the 'Humans of New York' blog, Dourani documented the siege and starvation imposed by the Israeli occupation, along with continuous bombardment and severe injuries to children. Dourani stated that the Israeli occupation imposed strict restrictions even on the amount of food she could bring in, limiting her to seven pounds only. She questioned, 'I am a doctor working in humanitarian aid; why is there even a limit on food? I have worked in areas with severe hunger, but Gaza shows unprecedented cruelty.' Describing her experience, she said, 'I stayed in Gaza for two months and found no words to describe the horror happening there. I see children dying in the pediatric intensive care unit as part of my job.' She added that the medical staff are working while hungry and exhausted, some living in tents, with many having lost dozens of family members due to Israeli bombardment. Regarding the children's injuries, she said, 'There are children with mutilations, missing limbs, and third-degree burns. Often, there isn't enough pain medication. But the children do not scream because of pain, they scream, 'I'm hungry! I'm hungry!'' Dourani expressed deep sorrow, saying, 'I hate focusing only on the children because no one should starve, but children chase you differently.' At the end of her mission in Gaza, her sadness was evident, describing a feeling she had not experienced in nearly twenty years of humanitarian work. She expressed shame at leaving Palestinian doctors, whom she described as some of the kindest and most compassionate people she has ever met. 'I felt ashamed as an American, as a human being, because we could not stop any part of this genocide,' she said. She recalled leaving southern Gaza, describing the last view from her bus window: 'All I saw of Rafah city was rubble, while on the other side, 'Israel' was enjoying life! When we left the gate, the first thing I saw was a group of Israeli soldiers sitting at a table eating lunch. I have never felt nauseous seeing a table full of food before.' Since October 7, 2023, Gaza has been enduring a comprehensive genocide affecting all aspects of life, under a severe siege and strict restrictions on food and medical aid entry, worsening the humanitarian crisis. The World Health Organization has called for the immediate reopening of crossings and unimpeded humanitarian aid access, stressing that saving civilians' lives in Gaza require urgent international action. The United Nations has confirmed that Gaza needs hundreds of aid trucks daily to end the famine caused by the ongoing siege and genocide, lasting 22 months. Shortlink for this post:
Mint
3 days ago
- Health
- Mint
American doctor describes Gaza starvation horror: ‘Kids missing limbs don't scream in pain, they cry, ‘I am hungry'…'
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies famine in Gaza, an American doctor who volunteered there for two months, recounted harrowing scenes of starvation and suffering, saying children maimed by airstrikes no longer scream from pain but from hunger. Aqsa Durrani, who is a pediatric doctor and board member of Doctors Without Borders, also claimed that she was allowed to enter Gaza with only seven pounds (approximately 3.17 kg) of food. She spent two months in Gaza with that amount of food. Speaking with Humans of New York, Aqsa Durrani said the Israeli military had rules about how much food can be taken inside the territory. Her testimony comes as Israel continues to deny humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, asserting the war is only on Hamas militants. The American doctor's testimony on Gaza starvation said otherwise. 'When I entered Gaza the Israeli military had a rule: I was only allowed to bring in seven pounds of food. As I was weighing out protein bars, trying to get under the limit, I said to my husband: 'How sinister is this?' Why would there even be a limit on food? I've worked in many places with extreme hunger, but what's so jarring in this context is how cruel it is, how deliberate." From the hospital, Aqsa Durrani described treating victims of Israeli airstrikes alongside fellow doctors who were themselves 'hungry and exhausted.' 'I was in Gaza for two months; there's no way to describe the horror of what's happening. And I say this as a pediatric ICU doctor who sees children die as part of my work. Among our own staff we have doctors and nurses who are trying to treat patients while hungry, exhausted. They're living in tents. Some of them have lost fifteen, twenty members of their families,' she said. The American doctor said children with missing limbs and third-degree burns didn't scream from pain, but from hunger, crying, 'I'm hungry!' "In the hospital there are kids maimed by airstrikes: missing arms, missing legs, third degree burns. Often there's not enough pain medication. But the children are not screaming about the pain, they're screaming: 'I'm hungry! I'm hungry!' 'I remember when our bus pulled out of the buffer zone. Out the window on one side I could see Rafah, which was nothing but rubble. On the other side was lush, green Israel.' Also Read | Gaza children face battle for survival: 10 disturbing photos of horrific hunger crisis and misery 'When we exited the gate, the first thing I saw was a group of Israeli soldiers, sitting at a table, eating lunch. I've never felt so nauseous seeing a table full of food,' Aqsa Durrani said. In a podcast, the American doctor recalled the anguish of telling crying, desperate mothers that she had no food for their starving children — even though supplies were just miles away. 'But it's not because we don't have it. It's because it's being deliberately blocked from us,' she said.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Vicky Roy's photographs look at the abilities of people living with disability
Everyone is Good at Something, first launched as an online exhibition of photographs that portrayed the real stories of people living with disability, now comes to readers in the form of a book. The exhibition has been converted into a photo-book published by India Inclusion Foundation. It is a curated collection of 100 powerful stories that shine a light on the everyday courage, quiet resilience, and often ignoredabilities of people with disabilities across the country. In a world where stories of disability too often focus on what is missing, photographer Vicky Roy and inclusion advocate V. R. Ferose gave it a different perspective. The photographs depict Vicky's journey through towns and cities, meeting people whose lives are rarely noticed. Ferose, who lives in California shaped the stories. Inspired by the storytelling style of Humans of New York but rooted firmly in India's lanes and backyards, Vicky says, each story, is about seeing ability, not disability. 'The way you see a photo changes if the context changes positively,' he says. Covering over 21 disabilities and more than 200 stories, the project breaks stereotypes. Instead of sad headlines, we see a blind man (Gobinda Majumdar) shaving with a mirror in hand; Amer Hussain, a boy with a locomotor disability chasing dreams and many others dreaming big despite all odds. Vicky's work has depth; he travels long distances to frame each story, often spending hours with families to build trust. He does not see this as charity. 'It is a circle of giving back to the society that shaped him. The blessings I receive from families are worth more than any reward. When someone says thank you, I sleep well,' he says. Vicky's project is about much more than images. 'The more you serve, the more you feel alive,' says Ferose. If a small donation — a laptop, a cricket kit, a sewing machine — can help someone grow, our team steps in, he adds. The Ministry of Social Justice has supported the mission by helping Vicky and Ferose find people whose stories may have otherwise gone unheard and unseen. Each week, the duo carefully balance stories of men and women because they believe every voice must be heard. Running a project like Everyone Is Good At Something has not been easy. Each story in the early days cost ₹25,000 — covering travel, time, accommodation. To cut down this cost, Vicky often doubled the number of stories per trip, travelling long hours, sometimes covering two stories in a day. The e-exhibition and the book, also break the myth that disability is always tragic. Instead, each photo reflects warmth, honesty and a familiarity. The people in them are not models; they are neighbours, colleagues, friends we may never have paused to see . 'Behind every face, there is an act of courage — sometimes as small as stepping outside for a photo shoot, sometimes as big as living independently against all odds. These are not stories staged in studios. They are real, alive, and honest,' says Vicky. The mission is an open invitation to look deeper, ask questions, and believe that ability is all around only if we choose to see it.
NBC News
15-03-2025
- Business
- NBC News
From pandemic struggles to St. Patrick's Day crowds, Mary O's soda bread rises to viral fame
Nestled in a modest storefront in New York City's East Village, Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop blends into the other red-brick businesses on the block. But one thing sets it apart: Customers routinely line up, sometimes for hours, to get their hands on her freshly baked goods before they sell out. The shop's menu is simple, featuring Irish soda bread loaves and scones served with salty butter and fresh raspberry jam. The recipes, passed down through generations of Mary O'Halloran's family, are at the core of her operations. But the secret to her success is precision. Only O'Halloran herself handles the batter, a non-negotiable standard she insists maintains the quality of her baked goods. 'I've had people come and say, 'Why don't you have somebody come in and help you?' It's not going to work,' she said. 'The scone does not come out the same.' O'Halloran said the demand for her soda bread scones surges every March for St. Patrick's Day, but her journey to success hasn't been easy. Five years ago, O'Halloran was facing the closure of her East Village pub due to the financial strain of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her husband, a longshoreman working in Alaska, was unable to return home due to travel restrictions, leaving her to manage the business alone. It was her loyal pub customers who encouraged her to start selling her scones, a treat they had grown to love. What began as a small-scale venture soon caught the attention of Brandon Stanton, the creator of the viral 'Humans of New York' social media account with more than 12 million followers. After interviewing O'Halloran, Stanton offered to help spread the word about her scones. Reluctant at first, O'Halloran eventually agreed, leading to a spike in sales. 'So I wrote a story on this, and we ended up that night selling a million dollars' worth of scones,' Stanton told NBC News. 'It is one of the greatest stories in the world.' The overwhelming response turned O'Halloran's small baking operation into a community effort. Regular customers and neighbors pitched in by packing orders, printing labels and decorating boxes with handwritten notes and custom drawings from one of her daughters. Despite the surge in demand, O'Halloran remained committed to quality, handling every batch of batter herself. 'Mary is where she is because that scone tastes so dang good,' Stanton said. 'She would have got there without me.' It took more than a year to fulfill the backlog of orders, but the hard work paid off. The revenue not only saved her pub, but allowed her to open Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop in November 2024. Customers from around the world flock to her store to sample the viral scones and meet the woman behind the treats. 'I live in Los Angeles, but they told me, you know, next time you're in town, there's a place we have to go, and it's the best scone you've ever had. It's the best soda bread,' out-of-towner David Murphy said. For O'Halloran, the hard work has been worth it. 'I love it, so it's easy,' she said. 'Of course I'm tired, but I love what I get from it with people. So it's easy.'
