It was a week after Christmas, early January in 1993. The war in Sarajevo was at its most cruel. There was very little food, water, electricity or heating. The temperatures plummeted to -20°C on some days. There was constant shelling and sniping onto the once-beautiful city and the terrified inhabitants.
One day I drove to an old people’s home on a frontline near the airport, where I’d been told that two or three elderly people died every day in their beds from hypothermia. There was no heating – the last person who tried to chop wood to light a stove was shot through the head by a sniper.
When I entered the home, I could smell the misery. I started taking notes, keeping a record of the number of people who had died there of the cold so that I could report it to the UN (who had done nothing to help). There I met a woman who clutched my hand and said: “Winter, winter...”
I think of this as another winter descends on Gaza. It is not the Balkans. Gaza has a Mediterranean climate. But even so, it grows cold, rainy and damp in the winter. For people whose lives have been so reduced, the constant misery of being hungry, wet and cold will make survival even more difficult.
Rain comes to Gaza in November and December. Many people sleeping in tents and outdoors will be at high risk of disease. There is fear of heavy flooding, which means contaminated water, and more water-borne diseases: cholera, dysentery, typhoid, polio, Hepatitis A. The UN describes the upcoming Gaza winter landscape in the bleakest terms: “diminishing conditions for survival.”
It's heartbreaking how Gazans – already so resourceful from having lived under a punitive blockade since June 2007 – will have even less than they have now. In North Gaza, hardest hit since the Israel-Hamas war began, bakeries and kitchens have been shut. Water and nutrition support is suspended and sanitation restricted.
Under international law, to be adequately housed means having secure tenure – not having to worry about being evicted or having your home disappear. Article 11 (1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights guarantees the right to housing as part of the right to an adequate standard of living. “Housing is a right, not a commodity.”
Blankets are also used as gurneys to transport injured people once they are pulled from the rubble
Yet, the UN says 60 per cent of residential buildings and 80 per cent of commercial buildings in Gaza have been demolished. Everyone I know in Gaza, whom I have contacted, has lost everything. Most of them have been displaced multiple times: 90 per cent – about 1.9 million of the people are displaced within the enclave. Since the beginning of October alone, an estimated 131,000 have been forced out of their dwellings – which gives a sense of collective misery.
Reports say people have only jackets for warmth. Used clothes for sale in markets are often too expensive: the blockade has destroyed Gaza’s economy. People don’t have the money to buy simple winter supplies such as socks or warm shoes.
And even blankets are being weaponised.
Dr Sara Roy, a Harvard political economist who has worked, lived in and researched Gaza for four decades, writes a newsletter for academics, journalists and humanitarians, which consolidates reports and information. Last month, she sent a startling message about blankets. Along with food, water and medical supplies, North Gaza also faces a severe shortage of blankets.
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Blankets are used for warmth, but also, because of the shortage of body bags, as burial shrouds for the thousands and thousands of dead. Hani Almadhoun, one of the organisers of the Gaza Soup Kitchen, wrote on his Facebook page: “This final act of generosity, using something so precious to honour the dead, reflects a community striving to preserve dignity when everything else is stripped away. Despite the enemy’s disregard, or perhaps because of it, families have chosen to sacrifice even their warmth to ensure the humanity of their loved ones in death.”
Blankets are also used as gurneys to transport injured people once they are pulled from the rubble. But Mr Almadhoun notes: “Once stained with blood, they are difficult to clean and can no longer be reused.”
He reported that in Beit Lahia, a city north of Jabalia in Gaza, the Israeli army broke into Kamal Adwan Hospital in late October. The hospital had an extreme shortage of supplies, including body bags, medicine and blankets.
World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that Kamal Adwan Hospital was already struggling to attend to the wounded and the dying. It “has been overflowing with close to 200 patients – a constant stream of horrific trauma cases”. Sheltering in the hospital were about 300 families who had been displaced, some several times.
According to Mr Almadhoun and other witnesses, when the Israeli soldiers entered, allegedly searching for Hamas operatives, “They set the ground floor ablaze, destroying essential medications and medical supplies … But it didn’t stop there. Soldiers ordered the 300 families taking refuge in the hospital to surrender all of their blankets. The very items that provided them warmth, a semblance of comfort in these harsh times, were piled together and set on fire to fuel the destruction. Then, after the blankets were reduced to ashes, these families were forced out into the cold”.
Blankets are like “treasures”, he says, a “brutal reminder of the relentless suffering”.
I could not forget this story, the cruelty of taking the last thing people struggled to keep as a form of dignity – a blanket. But the story also reminded me of something that Gazans have that the Israeli army can never take away from them: resilience.
In 2021 and 2022, I was in Gaza researching “Generation Z” the youth of Gaza who would be the future generation. What I found, among the deprivation (and this was before October 7 last year) was a generation determined to lift themselves up from oppression via education, hard work and innovation.
I saw a collective of feminist green farmers; brilliant computer coders; solar panel specialists; poets, writers, artists, rock stars and actors. I left feeling hope for the future of peace in the region, if young people like them were allowed to continue their inspiring work.
I’ve lost touch with most of the people I interviewed, because they have been displaced or disappeared. What I remember the most was these young people’s extraordinary creativity and resilience, despite conditions that were appalling. Education is the cornerstone for progress, and the Palestinian concept of sumud – steadfastness – is paramount.
Gazans have a deep commitment to learning and one of the strongest sense of family that I have ever witnessed. Together, these attributes are formidable. Dr Brian K Barber, a sociologist focused on youth, is about to publish a book chronicling three Gazans who he followed for three decades. He told me that the strength of Palestinians lay in their solidified family units.
Bearing this extraordinary ability to rise above the worse circumstances, I watched a news report about a university professor, Nidda Aitta. She lost her home and her job in the north and was displaced to the south. Realising what people needed most was warm clothes, Ms Aitta founded the “Needle and Thread” workshop, to create and sell recycled clothing. She uses whatever materials she finds and uses blankets for hoodies for children and seashells for buttons.
“No clothes have entered Gaza since the beginning of the war,” she said in an interview. “My team and I tried to break the cycle of people being reliant on coupons and deliveries [of aid].” The team sewed at first entirely by hand and now use an air-powered bicycle to power their sewing machine.
When I worry that Gaza will never recover, I think of people like Nidda Aitta. And I think of what the late Ronald Schlicher, a diplomat and former US consul general to Jerusalem, once said: “You Israelis can do all sorts of things to the Palestinians, but you won't buy them and you won't break them.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
%3Cp%3E97%25%20of%20Jewish-Americans%20are%20concerned%20about%20the%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E76%25%20of%20US%20Jewish%20voters%20believe%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20his%20allies%20in%20the%20Republican%20Party%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E74%25%20of%20American%20Jews%20agreed%20that%20%E2%80%9CTrump%20and%20the%20Maga%20movement%20are%20a%20threat%20to%20Jews%20in%20America%22%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes