Rehousing in Gaza

Fayez Ali Abu Hussein, 42 years from Beer Sheba, was living in Brazil quarter of Rafah after 1982 when the IDF demolished his house in Sinai and moved him with his family to a house in Brazil quarter.

"We lived in this house that was located so close to the border fence with Egypt that my wife used to hangout the washing on the fence to dry". Fayez said remembering the good days. "Everything was quiet and the boys including my eldest son Bahjat used to play near the border fence and the old people used to sit there to talk and tell their stories," Abu Bahjat said. "This continued until the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2002 when everything began to change and our life in the quarter became like hell. Shooting, shelling and home demolition along the border fence became a daily occurrence."

"Our children suffered much especially the younger ones who were very afraid when they heard explosion, shelling and heavy shooting during the night. They could not sleep; Hanan suffered from bedwetting, Ahmed cried hysterically and Fadwa used to leave her bed to sleep in her mother's." Abu Bahjat added talking about his children.

Um Bahjat, Fayez's, wife said, "as the situation became unbearable, we decided to leave the house and rent another in a safer place. We rented a house in Shaboura Camp of Rafah using the relocation fees provided by the Agency."

When the situation was calm for some period. The family decided to go back to their home in Brazil quarter near the border fence.

Um Bahjat told her sad memories. "However, it seemed like calm before the storm. On 2^nd May 2002,at 2:30 early in the morning. Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered through the border fence and began to destroy the houses a long the fence. Several houses including ours with their furniture were turned into rubble and debris. We were lucky to flee the house safely but without taking any of its contents with us."

" I honestly say that Agency staff members, especially those of the Relief, were following up the tragic situation minute by minute and they were the first to provide us with assistance in the early morning. We, as well as the other affected families, received tents, blankets, mattresses, food in addition to cash assistance as relocation fees". Abu Bahjat said.

The family lived in the tent near the demolished house for a week and then moved to a house belonging to a friend in Salah Ed-din area near Block "O".

Fayez's wife tried to justify the move, "The new location was not safer than the old one but we has to live in this house because my husband who used to work in Israel was jobless and we used the cash assistance in covering the family's daily requirements".

Five months later, Fayez and his family had to flee from the house near Block "O" after the shelling and bulldozing of houses had intensified and he was afraid for the safety of his children.

"This time we moved to our relative's house in Hay As-Salam. Again the house was only 80 meters from the border fence but we had to accept living there because it was free", Um Bahjat said.

"However, the price was high this time. On 3^rd September 2002, Israeli bulldozers and tanks entered Hay As-Salam and demolished several houses including the house where we lived while we were inside."

Um Bahjat remembers the sad incident, "The lower part of my body was under the rubble. My son Bahjat lost his front teeth, the wall collapsed on Ahmed and Hanan, my four-year-old daughter had her leg broken. My husband was so shocked that he cried hysterically, we were all in great panic." Abu Bahjat completed the story, " My wife and nine of my 11 children were admitted to Junaineh hospital. UNRWA provided us with urgent cash assistance, food and in-kind assistance as it did before."

The family began to recover slowly and on 18^th September 2002 some thing happened that changed the life of the family completely and for the better.

"My wife and I were invited with other heads of affected families to attend a ceremony in Tel-Es-Sultan area of Rafah. The Commissioner-General of UNRWA handed over to us the keys and contracts of our new houses that UNRWA built in Tel-Es-Sultan " Abu Bahjat said

The family now lives in a newly built and newly painted house consisting of four rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.

" We are certainly pleased to have this house and to have an end to our tragedy which we hope will be the last," Abu Bahjat said.

Um Bahjat looked with her eyes shining and said, " We are thankful to the Agency for building this house for us and all those whose donations made it possible."