This holiday season, Gaza is suffering from hunger The Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Winter has now arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and has brought a festive atmosphere in many places. In Gaza it brought more misery. The cold weather and rain have made the lives of 1.9 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza unbearable.

It has rained heavily several times already. Each time, the tents of the displaced were flooded, damaged or destroyed, and the floodwaters washed away what some people owned.

This has made many needy families poorer. The price of a new tent in Gaza can now reach $1,000. A temporary shelter — with wood and plastic for covering — costs hundreds of dollars. A new blanket can cost up to $100. No one in the camps has such amounts.

Many displaced people fled the bombs with only the clothes they were wearing. Some tried to retrieve clothes from under the rubble, but few succeeded.

With winter approaching, clothing prices have risen dramatically. Light pajamas now cost $95; Coat – up to $100. A pair of shoes — a rare commodity — can fetch up to $75. Used clothing markets have sprung up all over Gaza to meet the huge demand, but prices there are extremely high.

As a result, the camps are filled with people shivering from the cold and wearing thin summer clothes. Children walk around barefoot in mud and puddles.

Fuel for heating, which is either unavailable or unaffordable for most families. The price of 8 kilograms of gas reached $72. Wood is a little less expensive, but also too expensive for most people.

The lack of clothing and fuel for heating increases the risk of colds, influenza and other diseases during the winter, which can become life-threatening in Gaza. A weak, malnourished body, worn down by fear and shock, struggling against even a simple cold.

Gaza’s hospitals are barely functioning, mostly caring for people seriously injured as a result of the bombing. With supplies and staff lacking, they can no longer provide care for minor illnesses.

Diseases are also spreading because maintaining hygiene has become almost impossible. The displaced live in tents, without access to warm water, and sometimes cannot shower or even wash their hands. A bar of soap now costs $5, while a bottle of shampoo can cost up to $23.

But famine is perhaps the most intolerable reality of life in Gaza now. The amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza has decreased significantly since October, and its devastating impact has been felt throughout the Strip. It is not only the north that is suffering from famine. All of Gaza.

The price of what little food is available is unbelievable. The price of one bag of flour is now more than $300. Other food items have also become expensive. The price of a kilo of lentils or a kilo of rice is $7. Vegetables are difficult to find and expensive; 1 kg of tomatoes is $14; One onion costs $2. Can’t find red meat and chicken at all. We haven’t seen anything in months.

Bakeries that were a lifeline for families have closed because they cannot get supplies. Bread, the simplest and most basic of foods, has become a luxury that few of us can afford. Even if a family is able to obtain flour, it is often infested with insects and tastes stale.

People are now forced to rely on “takaya” – charitable soup kitchens – which provide small portions of food that barely suffice for a family. These organizations open their doors at 11:00 a.m., resulting in large lines forming in front of their distribution centers. Most families who manage to get a meal from them have nothing else to feed their children.

Hunger is not just physical pain that hungry people experience. It also has an unbearable psychological impact. Parents are forced to watch their children cry for food during long, cold nights. Some parents also had to watch their children die of hunger. This psychological torment cannot be compared to anything else.

As I write these words, I am starving, and I have not eaten anything since the morning. As I look around I see children and adults, pale and thin, exhausted from hunger and cold. I wonder how much more they can take; How much can either of us take?

The cruelest thing about this suffering is the silence of the world, which watches from afar but does not move. As the cold and hunger make things worse, we feel isolated and abandoned, as if we are cut off from the rest of humanity. As much of the world prepares for the holiday season, we are preparing to face loneliness, despair, and death.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.