A Smile on the Face of a Besieged Elderly Man

Tulkarm

In the alleys of Tulkarm refugee camp, where one of the neighborhoods had been turned into an Israeli military outpost, reaching an elderly man who had been trapped without food for five days was a difficult and dangerous mission. However, teams from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) managed to reach him and evacuate him despite the security conditions and harsh weather, which made the situation even more challenging. Their efforts brought a broad smile to his weary face.

The head of the PRCS in Tulkarm, Manal Al-Hafi, recalls the incident, saying: “In Tulkarm refugee camp, an elderly man was trapped in his home without food for five days.” She added that while they were on their way to rescue him, they were unable to reach him by car, where the area surrounding his residence had been turned into military outposts.

She pointed out that the situation was frightening, as the location was in a narrow alley. She noted that the first thing the elderly man said upon their arrival was that he wanted to eat. He was in a difficult condition and was evacuated from his home to a relative’s house. She emphasized that the PRCS constantly faces challenges but the greatest difficulty for the Disaster Risk Management Unit is transferring and evacuating elderly people from the refugee camps.

As the Israeli occupation's assault on the city of Tulkarm and its refugee camp continues for the fourteenth consecutive day, the PRCS persists in providing emergency and relief services despite all the obstacles and challenges imposed by the occupation.

Al-Hafi stated that since the beginning of the incursion, the PRCS teams have been fully engaged in their duties, whether in the departments of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Disaster Management, or Mental Health. She explained that they face significant challenges in reaching residents in Tulkarm due to damaged infrastructure, as well as the prolonged waiting times required to receive coordination for entry.

She stated that they had made multiple attempts to reach Tulkarm refugee camp to deliver food supplies in response to the high volume of emergency appeals received by the PRCS. She described the urgent need for various essentials, including medications, baby formula, and diapers for both children and the elderly. She also highlighted some of the challenges they encountered, particularly the fact that certain neighborhoods had been turned into military outposts, making access to them impossible.

She pointed out that some people remained in these neighborhoods, but due to the loss of communication with them, there is no way to determine whether they are still there, if they have survived, or what exactly happened to them. She emphasized this prolonged disconnection is especially concerning, as many of them are chronic diseases patients and have been cut off from their medications, basic food supplies, water, and electricity.

Al-Hafi emphasized that the role of PRCS was not limited to those still inside the refugee camp, as they also began receiving urgent appeals from displaced individuals who had fled the camp.

She added that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the entrance of the PRCS headquarters ordering the staff to evacuate. This marked the second attack on the PRCS. She noted that the forces sealed the main entrance of the PRCS, obstructing their ability to provide services and preventing staff from returning to their workplaces for hours.