we are not numbers

emerging writers from Palestine tell their stories and advocate for their human rights

A toddler in a jacket and scarf, holding a stick and smiling.

The dearth of personal hygiene products in Gaza

Diapers, soap, and sanitary pads are scarce and exorbitantly priced, robbing Gazans of the basic right to cleanliness.
Young woman in formal purple gown and headdress.
Alaa Arafat
  • Gaza Strip
A toddler in a jacket and scarf, holding a stick and smiling.
Unsanitary diapers causes Tasneem to suffer from leakage and infections.. Photo: Alaa Arafat

Torment takes different forms in Gaza. The victims of war are not only those buried underground, but those who live above ground in a life similar to death. We know that Gazans are suffering from water, electricity, and cooking gas crises, which they are trying to overcome with their own simple solutions and alternatives. But a new crisis has emerged on the scene: the scarcity of personal hygiene and body care products and their exorbitant prices. And the victims are most frequently women and children.

The specter of war has robbed the people of the Gaza Strip of the dignity of personal hygiene. And with no ability to purchase personal hygiene products, it has become impossible for the people of Gaza to protect their children from the risk of contracting diseases resulting from the lack of these necessities.

The children of Gaza have been deprived of even the most basic of rights. Access to soap, diapers and clean water have become an impossible dream. We all know how much a child needs care and attention, especially in terms of cleanliness and body care, but the Gazan child has lost their right to even something so simple.

The piling up of personal hygiene and body care products in trucks and the prevention of their entry through the crossings by the IDF has led to their scarcity and insanely high prices. This has especially negatively affected children and infants under the age of four, as the prices of diapers, shampoos, and soap have increased. Gazan families are forced to find alternatives to these important things.

Leaking diapers and skin infections

Some people have resorted to attempting to solve the diaper crisis by using a nylon bag, cutting it into the shape of a diaper, putting a piece of cloth inside it and securing it to the child’s body using adhesive. If it gets wet, the mother peels it off and dries it in the sun to reuse again. This has resulted in skin infections and difficulty walking, as the child is bothered by the nylon and the weight of the cloth.

My niece Tasneem, who is one and a half years old, lacks the most basic right of childhood — wearing a sanitary diaper — due to the scarcity of diapers and their high prices. My sister Samah attempted to make ​​a simple diaper for Tasneem, but Samah told me that this alternative does not adequately serve the purpose because it leads to leakage.

Tasneem also suffers from skin infections as a result of the friction of the nylon, especially in light of the extreme heat they live in in the tents. Tasneem also misses her right to even a simple bath. Samah buys a bar of soap, which is made locally from used frying oil from street vendors, then she grates it and mixes it with water in a bottle to make a foam to use for body and hair. But this provides neither adequate cleaning nor disinfecting.

Lice picking when there is no lice shampoo

My six-year-old cousin Lana, contracted head lice from one of her friends in one of the recreational tents, where the crowding of children and the lack of personal hygiene led to the spread of the infection. If lice shampoo were available, the process or removing the lice would have been much faster and easier.

But because there is not, cleaning Lana’s hair to remove the lice became my uncle’s daily job. Also, Lana was no longer allowed to go to the recreational tents and play with her friends. So not only did she suffer physically, but her psychological state was greatly affected as well.

A young girl standing inside a blue tent.
Lana has been tormented by lice but the family has no access to lice shampoo. Photo: Alaa Arafat

Overused sanitary pads and underwear

In addition to struggling to care for their children without hygiene products, women also suffer as a result of the high prices of women’s sanitary pads and the inability to purchase this important product, especially in light of the scarcity of sanitary aid distribution. Women resort to using one pad throughout the day, which leads to unpleasant odors due to the accumulation of bacteria as well as the occurrence of infections.

Gazans are also forced to wear underwear that has been worn out from frequent wearing, as there are no alternatives. Excessive hair loss, skin sensitivity, and pimples are additional health problems that women suffer from due to the use of unhealthy soap for both hair and body.

The burdens on the head of the Gazan family have increased in light of the scarcity of these materials, as he must go out early to look for at least one piece of soap to clean the entire family or a bag of diapers for his child at a reasonable price in the limited number of markets.

The alternatives that Gazans are trying to find instead of personal hygiene and body care products are poor substitutes, and their side effects threaten Gazans’ health. Why has basic access to diapers, sanitary pads and soap become a wish and not a right for the people of Gaza?

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