KHAN YUNIS, (PIC)
In a narrow basement under the stairs of a school sheltering displaced people in the city of Khan Yunis, the Palestinian academic Khuloud Abu Sahmoud (35 years old) lies on the bed of illness, while cancer devours her body and the consequences of repeated displacement haunt her, as there is no window in the place, and no light sufficient to break its darkness, while she is surrounded by master’s and doctoral degrees hung on the walls, as a silent witness to an academic life that suddenly stopped in the face of illness and war.
Khuloud did not imagine that she would end up in this narrow corner that she shares with nine members of her family, after she used to dream of an academic future and continuing her university career. But the war pushed her from one home to another, until she settled in the basement that lacks the minimum necessities of life, while the treatment journey has become more difficult than ever before.
Illness without an outlet
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced, on June 11, that Israel is obstructing the travel of about 17,000 Palestinian patients who received medical referrals for treatment outside the Strip, warning of an increase in the number of deaths among waiting patients, at a time when the health sector in the besieged enclave is witnessing a sharp collapse due to the destruction of hospitals and the shortage of medicines and medical supplies.
Khuloud’s illness was discovered after the birth of her last daughter eight months ago, and she underwent about 15 chemotherapy sessions, but her body did not respond, so it was decided to stop the treatment.
She says in a faint voice, “My hair and nails fell out, and I suffer from shortness of breath and abdominal swelling, and I lost more than 20 kilograms of my weight.” As for walking a few meters, it has begun to drain what remains of her strength. Postponed motherhood pain
Illness alone does not pain Khuloud, but rather her inability to perform the simplest details of motherhood. She looks at her infant daughter with heartbreak because she cannot carry her or care for her as she wishes.
She says, as tears overcome her, “I was deprived of taking care of my baby girl, and I cannot breastfeed her or even carry her normally.” Then she adds, “I see my children and my husband in need of me, but I am the one who has become in need of someone to take care of me.” Dreams on the wall
On the wall opposite her bed, her university degrees hang, telling the story of long years of diligence. She obtained a doctorate in education from the Islamic University of Gaza, and completed her master’s degree in just one year and four months, and she also worked in university teaching before finishing her studies.
She was aspiring to continue scientific research and obtain a professorship, but war and illness stopped everything. She says, “I dedicated my life to science, and it was my dream to continue my academic career, but illness shattered all my dreams.” An appeal before it is too late
After being displaced several times, she left the tent for the school looking for a place that suits her health condition, but she found herself in a basement that lacks air and light.
Despite the pain, she still holds onto one hope, which is to travel to receive treatment outside Gaza. She says, “I only hope to leave for treatment, recover, and then return to my children, my home, and my life.” She appeals to the concerned authorities to expedite her evacuation before it is too late, emphasizing that she is one of thousands of patients waiting for an opportunity that might save their lives.
Khuloud’s story comes in light of an extremely harsh health and humanitarian reality, where thousands of patients in Gaza are still waiting to be allowed to travel for treatment, while the continuation of the war and the siege exacerbate their suffering, making survival for many a race against time.