Gaza war survivors mark another sombre Ramadan far from home

Doha, Qatar – Haya al-Barai is preparing for another quiet Ramadan in Qatar. She will mark the Muslim holy month with her grandmother far from home.

Israel’s war on Gaza has torn her family apart.

The 16-year-old arrived in Qatar’s capital in December 2023 after her parents were killed in Israeli air attacks. Al-Barai was wounded in the attacks and is now a paraplegic.

One of her sisters, who was also wounded, is in Türkiye. Her other two sisters and a brother remain in Gaza.

“I don’t want to celebrate Ramadan here. I used to enjoy Ramadan with my family. We would eat and play games together. My family was together at that time,” Haya said.

Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 has left more than 38,000 Palestinians orphaned.

About 1,400 Palestinians have been evacuated to Doha with nearly 500 of them wounded.

Most of them are now residing in a compound in Thumama, on the southern outskirts of Qatar’s capital.

For Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time of fasting, prayer and reflection, and also a time to share with loved ones.

For many Palestinian evacuees in Doha, this Ramadan marks another year of separation from their family in Gaza.

Hamsa al-Raqp, 12, lost her left eye and broke her right arm in an Israeli air attack. She remembers the happiness of playing games with her cousins during Ramadan in Gaza.

Her father, Maher, said the family has not celebrated Ramadan since the war in Gaza began.

“Last year, as the killing continued, we did not do anything for Ramadan. I watched television all day and worried about my family still in Gaza. I check on them every day just to make sure they are alive,” Maher said. “This year’s Ramadan makes no difference to me, as my wife and my three children remain in Gaza.”