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**Gaza Family Desperate: Sisters with Disabilities Face Bullying, Starvation in Displacement Camp**

**Shati Refugee Camp, Gaza -** Amidst the squalor and desperation of Gaza’s displacement camps, one family’s plight highlights the immense challenges faced by vulnerable individuals caught in the crossfire. Raneem Abu Al-Eish struggles to care for her sisters, Aseel, 51, and Afaf, 33, both of whom live with intellectual disabilities and celiac disease, in a crowded tent in Shati refugee camp.

The sisters’ conditions have been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and displacement. Raneem describes their struggles with communication, overwhelming sensory environments, and involuntary movements, symptoms that have grown more severe under the strain of war. The family, including Raneem’s elderly and ailing parents, was displaced from their home in Jabalia camp eight months ago, and has since endured a relentless cycle of displacement from relative’s homes to makeshift shelters and overcrowded UN schools, now a tent in Shati camp.

Their daily lives are further complicated by constant bullying and social stigma. Raneem explains that people misunderstand her sisters’ conditions, leading to mockery and cruel treatment, especially when using communal bathrooms. The family’s dire situation took a devastating turn six months ago when Raneem’s 22-year-old brother, Mohammad, was detained by Israeli forces during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Mohammad, who had been vital to obtaining medicine, facilitating hospital visits, and engaging with aid agencies, is now missing. With no knowledge of his whereabouts, the family is utterly alone, and the sisters now face worsening food shortages and a lack of medical care.

The celiac disease presents a life-threatening problem. Aseel and Afaf require a gluten-free diet, an almost impossible demand in a region where limited aid supplies, including vital gluten-free flour, are blocked or inaccessible due to closed borders and damaged infrastructure. Without the special diet, they face severe malnutrition.

Dr. Sara al-Wahidi, a psychological specialist, emphasizes that the war has worsened the marginalization of people with disabilities in Gaza. A 2025 report estimates that at least 15% 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’s efforts to advocate for her sisters within the community have been met with persistent ignorance and a lack of consistent support.

“These aren’t just war victims,” Raneem pleads, “They’re vulnerable people forgotten by the world.” Their story serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of conflict on the most vulnerable members of society, left to struggle for survival amidst the chaos and neglect.

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