"The sounds of war are all around us" 

Fear has become constant in the Gaza Strip - Photo: Thomas Brandi

As if that weren't enough, the shortages of virtually everything, from food and medical supplies to electricity for hospitals and homes, make for insufferable conditions, as medical teams are forced to rely on generators that might break down at any moment and civilian homes are left with no heating in the biting winter cold.

Mr. Wael Abu Mustafa, the village director of the children's village in Rafah, was forced to procure supplies on the black market at exorbitant prices to provide for the most basic necessities. Thanks to him, the village currently has food and gas for the next two weeks, and both the children and staff of the village are extremely grateful. As Elham, an SOS mother says, "We don't know how he was able to find these supplies, it is difficult to find enough for a family, never mind a whole village."

Concerning the military threat, the village director points out that the village is relatively safe by comparison to other areas, thanks to the fact that it is quite far to the south. However, it is also near to the sea, meaning that fighter ships fire their cannons from very close by, while the fighter planes above are the cause of constant fear among the children, as Elham and Riham, an SOS girls youth leader, agree: "The sounds of war are all around us, especially during the night. Many of the children scream when they hear the fighter planes, so we have to constantly comfort and assure them that everything will be okay.  Our children fear for the safety of their biological families and this is hard to deal with since we can not guarantee their protection. To distract them, we have been organizing games and other fun activities for them in the village. Thank God so far none of the ground troops have reached our area."