Forced to live a life filled with uncertainty, Susan and her family found refuge in temporary shelters.
New Delhi:
During the conflict, stories emerged – stories of survival, recovery and shattered dreams. Suzan Barzak, a 37-year-old math teacher at the American International School in Gaza, is an enduring testament to the human spirit in war. Born and raised in central Gaza, Susan’s life was forever changed when the Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israeli territory on October 7 that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians.
Two days later, a combined force of Israeli troops razed Susan’s neighborhood in Mar, Gaza City. Fortunately, she, her 12-year-old son Karim, her husband Hazem and their extended family, who once shared a building, escaped before the attack. Six months later, Susan and her family shared a small apartment in the central Gaza city of Alzaveda, west of the Magazi refugee camp, which was hit by Israeli airstrikes in December. 70 people died.
“My family and I have not been able to return to our home since October 9. We have been forced to evacuate multiple times. Since then, we have only had information about our community and home through neighbors, friends or relatives.” They stayed there. They inspected our house and informed us of the situation, sending photos as the internet connection allowed. Unfortunately, these sources have also died, leaving us unaware of the subsequent events, ” Suzan told New Delhi TV.
Susan, her family and distant relatives live in an apartment in Mar, Gaza City. After the attack on 7 October, it was bombarded by Israeli airstrikes.
“My house and that of my three brothers-in-law were completely burned and destroyed. In addition, the houses of two of my four brothers were bombed and the houses of two others were partially destroyed,” she added.
life in refugee camp
Forced to live a life of uncertainty and displacement, Susan and her family found refuge in makeshift shelters.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza severely limits access to basic supplies such as food, water, fuel and medicine. Humanitarian groups have condemned Israel’s use of starvation tactics as a form of warfare in Gaza, where a large portion of the population faces severe food insecurity, UN experts said.
“Six months ago we were forcibly displaced to my sister’s home in Gazawadi. However, three months later we were surprised when our community was shelled by tanks without prior warning. We were fleeing to different places under fire. The 12 families, including my sisters who had been living with us for three months, within an hour started packing and moving to different places,” Susan told New Delhi TV.
“We dispersed into tents west of Rafah, Deir el-Balah and Zaweida. We endured harsh conditions for two months during the cold winter. The tents provided little protection and were not adequate for daily life. There was no water and food. “These places have supplies. Our husbands were forced to walk three kilometers every day to reach the nearest market where they could find things for us to survive. We endured the worst conditions imaginable,” she added.
seeking normalcy
As a teacher at American International School, Susan’s commitment to education runs deep. However, the ravages of war cast a long shadow on students’ academic pursuits. “No schools are in session right now,” she revealed. “The school was partially destroyed and other educational institutions suffered a similar fate.”
According to UNICEF, a staggering eight out of ten schools in Gaza have been damaged or completely destroyed. However, what really shocked experts was the profound psychological impact the war had on nearly 1.2 million children in the region.
UNICEF estimates that some 620,000 children in Gaza are currently out of school. Schools ceased regular classes as soon as the conflict broke out, and many were repurposed as shelters for families fleeing airstrikes.
Nearly half of Gaza’s population is under the age of 18, and the education system is already struggling due to the region’s turbulent history.
“Since October 7, our lives have been turned upside down and nothing is normal anymore. I fear it may never be the same again. Every time I look at my 12-year-old son, I burst into tears , seeing him bored, hopeless, lonely. He could no longer go to school, see his friends or even contact them because the network or internet connection was not available,” said Susan.
“Whenever he asked about his friends who left Gaza, I was speechless. When he asked, ‘When my friends move to eighth grade, will I stay in seventh grade?’ How should I answer him?” All I can do is reassure him that his safety is the most important thing at the moment and nothing is more important to me than his well-being,” she added.
Professionally, Susan and her colleagues were scattered, many seeking asylum abroad or facing unemployment. “About half of my colleagues have left Gaza for Egypt or other countries, where they are trying to rebuild their lives,” she explains. “My extended family and I have lost our only source of income and rely on financial assistance from relatives abroad to survive.”
“I thought about leaving Gaza and going to Egypt, but the cost of travel was beyond my reach. Having to pay $5,000 per adult and $2,500 for children under 16, I decided to start a GoFundMe campaign, but unfortunately , I’m still far away. Far away from achieving my campaign goals,” she added.
mother’s pain
As a mother, Susan struggled with the pain of seeing her son deprived of the simple joys of childhood, his spirit dimmed by harsh circumstances.
“My heart aches with pain and sadness every time my son tells me that his body and muscles are weak and he can no longer go to football practice,” Suzan said.
“The sports club he joined was also bombed and completely destroyed. How does a mother feel when her son keeps writing down his favorite meals that he used to eat at home or order from restaurants? When he sees an apple or an There were bananas at the market and he looked me in the eye as if to himself, ‘Can we buy one?'”
According to Reuters, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global hunger monitor said Gaza has exceeded two key indicators – food shortages and malnutrition. Monitors have warned that without immediate intervention, mass deaths are “imminent” and famine is expected by May.
The World Bank reports that all 2.4 million residents of Gaza face severe food insecurity and malnutrition.
The future is uncertain
For Susan and countless others in Gaza, the future looks bleak and uncertain. During the war, they struggled to find hope in despair and rebuild their lives from the ashes of destruction.
“No one knows how many times we die before we finally die,” Susan mused. “Can you imagine someone who once lived a life of passion and drive ultimately praying for death to end such an inhuman life?”
“When you think about our destroyed homes? Our lost jobs? Our demolished cities, what future can we expect?” Susan asked. “What does the future mean when we lose our zest for life?”
According to a recent report by The Lancet, violence in Gaza since October 7 has plunged the country’s 2.1 million people into a severe mental health crisis, 67% of whom are refugees and 65% of whom are under the age of 25. and the loss of family members leaves many children vulnerable to conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Thinking about the future is heartbreaking, like thinking about premature death,” Susan reflected.
“When this war is over, I will be faced with the fact that my house is destroyed, my city is destroyed, my savings account is empty, and I have an incomplete number of relatives and friends,” she admitted. “I had an uneducated son and my unemployed family. I imagined myself living in the desert with no hope of survival. This is my future now.”
Since the war broke out on October 7, more than 34,000 people have died on both sides.
As she looks toward an uncertain future, Susan reflects on the simple joys she once took for granted—a morning cup of coffee, gatherings with loved ones, visiting her parents’ graves. She longs for a return to her old life and a chance to regain her stolen humanity.
“I miss myself, looking at myself in the mirror that I no longer have, dressed well, sleeping well, wearing perfume, eating well,” Susan admitted.
“I’m missing out on life… who can bring our lives back?”
