Rahaf Is 12 And Lives In Gaza. All She Wants Is For Her Hair To Grow Back
She is one of thousands of children trying to survive famine.
Rahaf Ayyad is 12 years old. When she grows up, she wants to be an English teacher. âEnglish is my passion, and Iâm good at it,â she told the charity Defense for Children International â Palestine (DCIP).
She is living in Gaza with her parents. In December, she began experiencing symptoms including a sudden loss of strength, difficulty walking and hair loss.
Her family took her to hospital where tests indicated malnutrition. After a week-long course of treatment, her health improved briefly, but quickly deteriorated again, according to reports.
Doctors have since said without treatment abroad for suspected kidney problems, she could face âlife-threatening consequences,â according to her mother Sharouq.
Now, the pain in Rahafâs bones is so severe she canât walk. Her hair, which was once long and healthy â her pride and joy â is falling out. She has lost a lot of weight.
She is unable to access nutritious food, and her family are watching in anguish as her health deteriorates.
She is one of many children in Gaza facing starvation right now.
Why is food not widely available in Gaza?
Israel has been blocking aid from reaching Gaza for 11 weeks now. The blockade is being used as a way to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages from the attacks on 7 October 2023 â it is believed 20 of the 58 remaining hostages are still alive.
On 20 May, the BBC reported that Israel had said 93 trucks full of aid had been allowed into Gaza, but the UN said no aid had been distributed and estimated 600 trucks a day are needed to help tackle the humanitarian crisis.
Rahafâs family canât afford a wheelchair for the 12-year-old. Her brother helps to move her, but even the gentlest touch can make her cry out in pain.
âHer mental health is in a deplorable state. Every day, she anxiously asks, âWhen will my hair grow back?â,â said Sharouq.
She said losing her hair has âdeeplyâ affected Rahafâs mental health and doctors believe âmuch of her illness is a result of psychological distressâ.
Her 11-year-old sister Yara said: âI loved playing with Rahaf, especially brushing and braiding her long hair. We used to enjoy going shopping together. Now, sheâs in so much pain that she canât even play with her toys. I canât play with her anymore, but I stay by her side, hoping sheâll recover and be cheerful again.â
The 12-year-old was almost evacuated for urgent medical treatment two weeks ago, however an airstrike prevented the departure of the group. She is waiting to leave Gaza to receive urgent treatment, according to DCIP.
Miranda Cleland, advocacy officer for the charity, told HuffPost UK: âRahaf is one of many extremely vulnerable Palestinian children in Gaza suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.
âChildren with disabilities or other underlying illnesses, like Rahaf, in addition to newborn babies and very young children, are at very high risk of succumbing to starvation right now. This couldnât be more urgent.â
Thousands of children and babies are at risk of death
Gaza has one of the youngest populations in the world, with data from 2022 suggesting nearly half (47.3%) are under the age of 18.
On Tuesday, the UN warned that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in 48 hours if no aid reaches them.
âNo aid has reached Palestinians in Gaza in more than 11 weeks as Israel enacts a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip and is actively preventing aid from reaching Palestinians in need, including children like Rahaf. This is unconscionable and a crime,â said Cleland.
She urged world leaders, including those from the UK, to âuse all means necessary to pressure Israeli authorities to allow an abundance of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, without restrictions, and flow freely to reach Palestinians in needâ.
On 19 May, Britain, France and Canada threatened a response if Israel continued with its renewed military offensive and didnât lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.
It also called on Hamas to ârelease immediately the remaining hostages they have so cruelly held since 7 October 2023â.
A statement from the three governments read: âIf Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.â
At the time, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plea.
The UK has now suspended further trade negotiations with the country.
In a press conference on 21 May, Israelâs prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a three-stage plan to allow aid deliveries into Gaza. He also said Gaza will be âunder Israelâs security controlâ by the end of the current ground offensive, LBC reported.
Israel launched a full-scale offensive into Gaza in October 2023 in response to the Hamas attack on Israeli soil where they took 1,200 people killed and 250 others hostage.
After 19 months of war in the region, more than 50,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed.
For those who are feeling helpless by the news, Cleland said: âWrite and call your members of Parliament today, tomorrow, and the next day to demand your leaders take action and stand up for the rights of Palestinian children in Gaza.â
Despite the ordeal she is living through, Rahaf still has hope. âMy deepest wish is to walk again, go to school, and take care of myself,â she said.
âBefore my illness, my life was full of promise. I excelled in school and was always among the top students. Now, Iâm determined to recover.â
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