Hamdallah Abu Daghen© CARE /2008

By Hamdallah Abu Daghen

Hamdallah Abu Daghen is 26 years old and an employee of CARE International in Gaza. This morning he described the situation in which he and his family are living in after 10 days of conflict. Hamdallah lives in Al Touffah, one of the oldest and most densely populated areas of the Gaza strip.

“Today I had no other choice but to knock down a door in our apartment, to break it up and use it to make a fire and cook. I've knocked down three so far.

I live in Al Touffah, about six kilometres from the sea. The markets are empty and there's no cooking gas so I had no alternative.

I live with my mother but when the fighting started displaced relatives moved in. Then it got so bad that all the relatives – 42 of us, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandmothers and children all moved to another house belonging to my cousin so we could be together. We are so cramped and on top of each other.

I am angry, sad and depressed. This existence is awful. Do we have to destroy our own homes to survive? Is this the only way we are allowed to live? After 18 months of being under siege is this what it has come to?

We are just an ordinary family. There's such little employment in Gaza so I'm very lucky to have a job looking after the CARE offices. I have gone about my duty and looked after my family. We've had no running water since the Israeli bombs started to fall 10 days ago. We haven't been able to sit down and relax. We've had no sleep, the noise has been terrible and the windows have been open.

We feel cold and exposed. My last wish if I should die in the coming days is to have a shower and a decent meal.”