Twelve-year-old Mazionah liked to play with dolls and spend time with her younger brother, Mohannad.
Now, she cannot do either. Mohannad, 10, and sister Hala, 13, were killed by an Israeli strike on their home in Nuseirat refugee camp in June 8. Mazionah's jaw was shattered in the attack.
A video that shows severe injuries to her head was circulating on social media.
She hopes now to find a way out of Gaza and reconstructive surgery for her face.
“I want to travel abroad and become more beautiful than before,” she told The National from her hospital bed in Al Nasser Medical Complex.
Her father Ahmad Damo, 40, said his wife and all their children were at home when the Israeli bombing began.
“When I came back, I saw chaos in the area. I asked someone what happened to our neighbourhood. He told me to ask about my family, instead of asking about the neighbourhood,” Mr Damo told The National.
“I collapsed right then and there.”
There was rubble and dead bodies where his home once stood, he said.
“People had gathered to help rescue my family, and others. But even they were shot at, and another strike hit nearby, killing some of them.”
Mr Damo looked for his family in nearby hospitals and found them being treated as “unregistered or unknown patients”, he said.
His youngest daughter Tala, 4, suffered injuries to her eyes. His wife, Areej, too, had injuries to her face.
Mazionah's jaw was disfigured and needs complex maxillofacial surgery, which can only be done abroad.
“My two other children were found in pieces,” Mr Damo said.
His wife's mother and sister were killed in nearby strikes. Her sister's body has not been recovered.
A team of doctors from the non-profit organisation FAJR Scientific have been overseeing Mazionah's care. They are trying to raise money to take her out of Gaza for treatment.
On Saturday, Israeli authorities refused her family's application to allow her mother to travel as her guardian.
Since hearing that she could not travel abroad with her mother, her situation has deteriorated, Mr Damo said.
Now, Mr Damo, his wife and daughter Tala stay by Mazionah's side.
The family said they would try to find another way for their daughter to get treatment.
This is not the first time the family has suffered from Israeli attacks.
In 2014, an Israeli strike destroyed their home and injured Mr Damo and his heavily pregnant wife.
He suffered from a concussion and fractures to his back which forced him to quit his job at a clothing boutique as he was no longer able to stand for prolonged periods.
Since then, Mr Damo has had to find temporary jobs or rely on the kindness of others to get by.
“I won't lie. There were days when we couldn't find food to eat.”
“Even before October 7, we did not live like the rest of the world. We have been under siege for 17 years,” Mr Damo said.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
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Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Specs
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Range: 400km
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
