A look at one man and his family in Gaza who went from being a successful cattle farmer in the north to now living in a van with no water and little hope.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Now we’re going to hear about one family’s displacement amid the Israeli offensive in Gaza. That offensive continues intensely, with Israel saying it seeks to destroy Hamas wherever it is. An airstrike yesterday killed at least 21 people, injuring women and children, according to health officials. This was in the south, where thousands of civilians have fled. NPR’s Carrie Kahn brings us the story of one man and his family who are struggling to survive in southern Gaza, with reporting from NPR’s producer Anas Baba, who is in Gaza.
ANAS BABA, BYLINE: From Rafah City, from Tell es-Sultan neighborhood, it’s already 10 a.m.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: In the southwest corner of the Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt, producer Anas Baba says tents are everywhere. One cluster catches his attention – seven families sheltering on a small dirt field behind a gate.
BABA: One of them is Mr. Nidal Al Barrawi, 47 years old, with his family of 10 members. Mr. Nidal is going to start to tell us exactly how was his day in Rafah.
NIDAL AL BARRAWI: (Speaking Arabic).
KAHN: “This is a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” says Nidal Al Barrawi.
He leans against a tall pile of thin mats and folded blankets inside the cargo van where he and most of his family now sleep. The Israeli military ordered his part of northern Gaza to evacuate a couple months ago. Before that, he lived in a three-story home and enjoyed life as a farmer.
AL BARRAWI: (Through interpreter) My wife used to prepare me coffee, and I then used to go to work. I would feed my cows, then go and take care of the rest of my farm.
KAHN: Al Barrawi says he also grew apricots and avocados. He would nap midday, then spend evenings with friends and relatives.
AL BARRAWI: (Through interpreter) Everything, everything we…
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