Child Maryam: A Painful Story of a Survivor from the Occupation's Incinerator
Child Maryam survived a fire at her home in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza, following the killing of her mother, Reem Awad.
Translated by Qiyas from القبس — Original source
Her three-year-old daughter emerged from the rubble with severe burns and wounds, after flames engulfed their home in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza, killing her mother, Reem Awad. In those moments, Mariam was trapped between the debris and the fire, amid thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames inside the apartment. Young men heard her screams and rushed to rescue her, pulling her from the site before the fire could consume her. But saving her from death was not the end of the tragedy. Mariam emerged with severe burns and injuries, beginning a long treatment journey in a health sector facing acute shortages of medicines and medical supplies, while the difficulty of providing specialized care for critical cases continues to grow. Her mother was not the first parent she lost; her father died at the outset of the war, and her mother was killed in the latest shelling, leaving the child, who had not yet turned three, orphaned of both parents. Burns and combined injuries carry compounded risks, especially given the shortage of medicines, antibiotics, and medical supplies, as well as the difficulty for patients and the wounded in accessing specialized treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Estimates indicate around 42,000 people suffer from serious and ongoing injuries, including amputees and those with severe burns, who require long-term rehabilitation and care programs. Mariam survived death, but she now faces another battle: to recover from her physical wounds and grow up carrying the absence of her two deceased parents, while she was still learning how to pronounce their names.
