On World Humanitarian Day, 19 August 2019, the world salutes women who engage in humanitarian work. Through the stories presented here, and to complement the global campaign, we highlight the contribution of #WomenHumanitarians across the occupied Palestinian territory.
Eman Shannan
When I was a child in the second grade, a classmate of mine passed away. When we asked our teacher, who was in tears, how she died, she replied: from cancer. We didn’t understand what cancer means, so she tried to help us understand by explaining that it was like our friend drank rat poison. But when we grew up, we learned that cancer is not a rat poison, but, rather, another type of slow death.
Hanaa' Rajeh Al Farajeen
Building a better future for Bedouin women and girlsMy name is Hanaa' Rajeh Al Farajeen. I live in one of the Bedouin communities in Hebron. I am a manager in a kindergarten and a member of the Bedouin Women’s Protection Committee in our community, established to support various needs of women and girls in Bedouin communities.
Through the Committee, I have been building relationships with various institutions to help other women in my community to receive psychosocial, economic, health or educational assistance.
19 August
More Stries
Linda Houshieh
Linda, 38 years old, is a mother of six children (4 girls and 2 boys). A year ago, Linda began working as a social worker with the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC). Although its been only a short time, she has been able to leave a positive impact on the 60 children from East Jerusalem she has worked with so far.
Zinat Hmaidya
My name is Zinat Hmaidya. I live in Eastern Shajayia, East of Gaza with five daughters and three sons. My son, Yousef, passed away during the conflict between Israel and Gaza in 2014.
Murjan Abed
Murjan Abed is a senior nurse with a mobile clinic that provides mammography services to women in the West Bank villages in the occupied Palestinian territory. It often takes her a few hours, if possible at all, to reach some of the areas – and not just because of the remoteness. Hundreds of movement obstacles, including “flying” Israeli checkpoints hamper free movement within the West Bank
Reem Frainah
My professional life began on a very different track than where I am now. In university, I studied mathematics and, after graduation, I began teaching in an elementary school. After a short time, however, I felt that the routine of teaching was killing me. I wanted to do more and engage with the community in a different way.
Reda Al Masri
Reda Almasri, 28, began volunteering as a paramedic with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Gaza in 2011. She has been providing first aid to those injured near the Gaza fence with Israel since the start of the “Great March of Return” demonstrations on 30 March 2018, alongside her colleagues.
Suad Baker
32-year-old Suad Mohammed Ghazi Baker is a social worker and resident of Al Remal neighborhood in the Gaza Strip. She is single and lives with her family of four members.