Washington, DC —
As Israel dey bomb Gaza, di health system don almost collapse. Small group of pikin wey dem wound well-well don reach America for beta medical treatment. Dem say na di biggest medical evacuation from Gaza since di war start.
Dis pikin dem — many of dem don lose dia hand or leg, get serious burns, or big-big wound from bomb, bullet, and shell — dey get treatment for hospital across America. Na one humanitarian group wey dem call HEAL Palestine and dia oga, Steve Sosebee, dey help dem. Sosebee don dey work with wounded Palestinian pikin dem since 1987, during di First Intifada.
“We never see dis kain thing before,” Sosebee yarn give TRT World from Ohio. “Di level of kasala, di wound, di suffer — e no get comparison for modern history.”
Sosebee talk say di situation for Gaza now — wey Israel don reportedly kill almost 62,000 people, including more than 18,000 pikin, and analysts dey talk say di real number fit reach 200,000 — pass anything wey e don see for over 30 years wey e dey do relief work. E don dey evacuate wounded pikin dem since di early 1990s.
“That time, if 15 people die for one protest, e go be big wahala. But now, na wetin one airstrike fit do,” e explain.
One pikin wey dem evacuate na Rahaf al-Dalou, small girl from Gaza wey survive fire wey Israeli airstrike cause near dia tent for Shuhada Al Aqsa Hospital for Deir al Balah. Di fire burn di tent camp wey dey shelter displaced people. Her mama and her senior brother, Sha’ban al-Dalou, burn die for di fire.
For one video wey go viral, Sha’ban, 19 years old, wey dey study software engineering for Al-Azhar University and na hafiz of di Quran, dey wave him hand for fire as people dey shout and try quench di fire. Di boy just start him school for September 2023 after dem destroy dia house di year before.
Few days before dem kill am, e survive another airstrike wey kill 20 people for mosque. Rahaf younger sister wey dem burn for di hospital attack die four days later for intensive care. Rahaf sef get serious burns and shrapnel wound.
“My fingers melt join together. I no fit move. I no fit waka. Nobody dey to cook or take care of me and my papa,” she tell TRT World from one hospital for Boston, Massachusetts, where dem dey do surgery and trauma care for her body.
Before dem carry her commot, she dey waka from one hospital to another for Gaza, from di American hospital for Deir al Balah to Nasser Medical Complex. Medicine no dey, equipment don spoil.
“If better medicine dey Gaza, I no go need to comot,” she talk.
Sosebee talk say no be only bomb and bullet dey wound Gaza pikin dem, but di way dem dey hold food and aid back na di most “unheard-of weapon” for modern war.
“Israel dey use food as weapon,” e talk. “Dem dey starve pikin dem to force di people to surrender. Na ethnic cleansing through hunger.”
Humanitarian groups and di UN don talk di same thing about di starvation wey Israel dey cause. WHO and IPC report say 495,000 people for Gaza — including 135,000 pikin — dey face hunger wey fit turn famine, especially for di north.
Di report warn say malnutrition, dehydration, and disease wey dem fit prevent don dey kill Gaza pikin dem. UNRWA talk say over 100 pikin don die from hunger. WHO talk say over 80 percent of Gaza health facilities no dey work, and most people dey survive on less than one meal per day.
“Even when food, shelter, or medicine dey, di wahala na how to carry dem enter,” Sosebee talk.
Sosebee talk say di trauma wey Gaza pikin dem dey face no be post-traumatic stress, but na current traumatic stress — di kasala no dey stop. UNRWA report say 98 percent of Gaza pikin dey show signs of psychological wahala after 300 days of genocide. Many dey harm demself, withdraw, or dey act violent.
“Dis pikin dem strong well-well,” Sosebee talk. “But wetin dem dey carry for dia mind too much for any pikin.”
Rahaf agree. “I no dey here because I wan comot my home,” she talk. “But for Gaza, no future. No treatment. No chance.”
Her aunt wey her own pikin sef wound from Israeli strike na im connect her with HEAL Palestine. Dem pass Gaza through Karem Abu Salem crossing, enter Jordan, and finally reach America after two days.
Sosebee no happy with di international community. “Di world never do enough,” e talk. “Dem dey allow pikin dem die of hunger for 2025. Dis no be mistake — na complicity. Governments dey send weapon and money to Israel but dem dey turn dia eye from di wahala.”
Rahaf talk say she miss her home, but she wan stay for America until she finish her treatment — and maybe longer. “Even if di war end, no future dey Gaza,” she talk. “Here, at least, I fit try build something.”
But she still dey carry Gaza for her mind. “I wan make di world sabi wetin dey happen to pikin dem for Gaza,” she talk. “Just small food, fruit, or vegetable fit save life. We no dey ask for plenty.”
Sosebee and Rahaf see di evacuation as small hope for di wahala. “We no just dey fly pikin dem go for treatment,” Sosebee talk. “We dey show dem — and di world — say dia life still get value.”
For now, HEAL Palestine dey try expand dia medical mission and carry more pikin dem commot. But time dey run. As Israel dey destroy Gaza, many Palestinian pikin fit no survive di wait.
