Pal Humanity Provides Vital Care to People in Need
Two young female doctors, Nour and Nagham Abu-Halima, started an initiative called Pal Humanity to give medical services to those in need. Together, they have identified a pressing need for diapers and baby formula. Without these crucial goods, infants in Gaza suffer from starvation and dehydration. Some of them are in such poor condition that they do not even have the energy to cry.
In the south of Gaza, diapers and baby formula are not only scarce, but unaffordable. A pack of 28 baby diapers costs 200 shekels or around $54. These doctors have raised around $87,000 via crowdfunding and have a goal of $100,000. Their TikTok videos showcase the dire conditions that Gaza’s children live in.
In a video by Pal Humanity, one Gazan showcased the makeshift diapers that she made using some plastic sheets. These diapers are made of a thin plastic shell and not much else. Not only are these diapers not as effective as their commercial counterparts, but using them led to the child suffering from “skin irritation and injury”.
Another video features a mother holding her child and explaining that they have to not ask for diapers and baby formula saying that these items are forbidden. Some parents have managed to make diapers out of clothing scraps and other absorbent materials. Many parents choose cloth diapers with the intention to wash and reuse these diapers, but due to water shortages, there is no way to wash these improvised diapers.
In many of Pal Humanity’s videos, these children have protruding ribs and limbs that look like twigs. This showcases how dire Gaza’s situation is and how diaper and formula shortages affect children. Between the effects starvation and unsanitary conditions, these children are vulnerable to dying from a multitude of causes. In other words, if airstrikes don’t kill them, starvation, dehydration, or disease will.
