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Mariam: A child of Gaza's conflict Mariam: A child of Gaza's conflict
(1 day later)
Mariam, born during the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, is still undersize and underweight By Katya Adler BBC News, Gaza Mariam, born during the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, is still sickly By Katya Adler BBC News, Gaza
Mariam al-Sharif was born a year ago into a world of conflict and violence. Mariam El-Sharif was born a year ago into a world of conflict and violence.
Her extended family marks her first birthday, crowding around a cake with one pink candle on it. Her extended family crowds around a cake with one pink candle on it.
The walls of their front room in northern Gaza are still riddled with bullet and mortar shell holes. The walls of this front room in northern Gaza are still riddled with bullet and mortar shell holes.
Israel began a three-week long assault on Gaza a couple of hours after Mariam came into the world.
Life is hard for my daughter - we still live in fear in Gaza and there is no hope that life will get better Saadiyia al-Sharif, Gaza residentLife is hard for my daughter - we still live in fear in Gaza and there is no hope that life will get better Saadiyia al-Sharif, Gaza resident
Panic and chaos spread throughout Gaza's main hospital as the dead and injured piled up in the corridors. Israel began a three-week long assault on Gaza, a couple of hours after Mariam came in to the world. Panic and chaos spread throughout Gaza's main hospital.
Born prematurely, Mariam stayed at the hospital in an incubator, but the overwhelmed doctors could not give her the care she needed. Israel says its operation was aimed at Palestinian militants, who for years had been firing rockets at Israeli families over the border.
Nor could Mariam's mother. But hundreds of Gaza's civilians were killed and thousands were injured in Israel's military campaign.
I met Saadiyia al-Sharif just after the war - so happy to cradle her daughter again. They had been separated until Israel's soldiers left the strip. Born prematurely, Mariam spent the war here in an incubator. Her mother was sent home to make room for the wounded.
The hospital wanted her bed for the wounded. I met Saadiya Sharif days after the war. She had just been reunited with her daughter.
Once out of hospital, Mrs Sharif was unable able to return as Israeli troops surrounded her house for the duration of the offensive. "I'm always holding her. I don't let her out of my sight now," she told me.
Now, she says, she holds Mariam all the time. She cannot bear to let her out of her sight. "It was very difficult. Mariam was in the hospital without me for 21 days. We couldn't leave our house to pick her up because of the shelling. Israeli soldiers were based across the road from us."
But the experience left physical, not just psychological scars. Frustrations
One year on, Mariam is still undersize and underweight. One year later Gaza is still bruised and battered and Mariam is still sickly.
Limited supplies We went with her and her mother to a UN clinic.
We accompanied her and her mother to a United Nations clinic.
Mariam is examined regularly here but the medicine she needs is often not available. Mariam's mother blames Israel's blockade, still in place on Gaza.
GAZA CONFLICT CASUALTIES Total Palestinian deaths: 1,409 (PCHR) 1,387 (B'Tselem) 1,166 (Israeli military)Palestinian children killed: 326 (under 17, PCHR) 252 (under 16, B'tselem) 89 (under 16, Israeli military)Palestinian civilians killed:916* (PCHR)773* (B'tselem)295 plus 162 unknown (Israeli military)Israelis killed:3 civilians10 security forces (includes 4 by friendly fire) *Figs exclude about 250 Hamas police officers PCHR=Palestinian Human Rights Centre, B'Tselem=Israeli human rights group Voices: Gaza, one year on Gaza: Still on a knife edge Two families struggle to recover Gallery: Impact on Gaza children Locals return to rocket-hit townsGAZA CONFLICT CASUALTIES Total Palestinian deaths: 1,409 (PCHR) 1,387 (B'Tselem) 1,166 (Israeli military)Palestinian children killed: 326 (under 17, PCHR) 252 (under 16, B'tselem) 89 (under 16, Israeli military)Palestinian civilians killed:916* (PCHR)773* (B'tselem)295 plus 162 unknown (Israeli military)Israelis killed:3 civilians10 security forces (includes 4 by friendly fire) *Figs exclude about 250 Hamas police officers PCHR=Palestinian Human Rights Centre, B'Tselem=Israeli human rights group Voices: Gaza, one year on Gaza: Still on a knife edge Two families struggle to recover Gallery: Impact on Gaza children Locals return to rocket-hit towns
Most medicines are allowed into the territory, but their transfer can be slowed by Israeli and Palestinian bureaucracy, and the entry of medical equipment and other supplies is limited. Mariam is examined regularly there, but the medicine she needs is often unavailable or too expensive.
The World Health Organization says that at the end of November 2009, 125 of 480 essential drugs were at "zero level", meaning there was less than one month's stock left. Israel allows basic humanitarian supplies in to Gaza but it still has a punishing blockade in place here.
Israel says the military operation was - and the continuing blockade is - targeted at Hamas, not Gaza's civilians. Israel says the aim is to put pressure on the militants, but the people of Gaza say everyone suffers.
The Islamic movement has controlled Gaza since June 2007, and has launched thousands of rockets and mortars into Israel in recent years. Last month, the World Health Organization warned that 125 of 480 essential drugs were at "zero level". This means there was less than one month's supply left.
Israel allows most medicines into Gaza, but amounts can vary and their transfer can be slowed by Israeli and Palestinian bureaucracy.
The entry of medical equipment and other goods is severely limited.
After weighing and measuring Mariam, Dr Salim Ramadan told us of the frustrations of being a doctor in Gaza.After weighing and measuring Mariam, Dr Salim Ramadan told us of the frustrations of being a doctor in Gaza.
He said Mariam's case was typical. He said Mariam's case was typical. He often prescribes medicines to patients that either turn out not to be available in Gaza or that have been smuggled in from Egypt through the tunnels but at such a cost that few Gazans can pay.
He often prescribes medicines to patients that either turn out not to be available in Gaza or that have been smuggled through tunnels under the border with Egypt, but at such a cost that few Gazans can pay. 'What to do?' he said. 'We have 65% of people living here under the poverty line and the situation is just getting worse.'
Egypt also keeps its border with Gaza almost entirely closed. Mrs Sharif is also exasperated.
"What to do?" he asked. "We have 65% of people living here under the poverty line and the situation is just getting worse." As a mother, she should be able to provide for her daughter, she says, but she couldn't give Mariam her breastmilk when she was born as they were kept apart by the war and now, a year later, she still can't protect her - economically, medically or in terms of safety.
Fears for the future "Life is hard for my daughter. We still live in fear in Gaza and there is there is no hope that life will get better," she says.
Mrs Sharif is also exasperated. As a mother, she should be able to provide for her daughter, she says, but she could not give Mariam her breast milk when she was born as they were kept apart by the war. "She wants to be like children in the Western world - to play, to have complete freedom. In the future, if she wants to travel, if she wants a normal life, she can't have this in Gaza. Israel's siege controls our lives."
Now, a year later, she still cannot protect her - economically, medically or in terms of safety. Twelve months after Israel's military operation in Gaza, Hamas, Israel's enemy, remains in power while ordinary people feel unable to pick up the pieces of their lives
"Life is hard for my daughter. We still live in fear in Gaza and there is there is no hope that life will get better. There's no proper education. No playgrounds she can play in. Mariam's family like so many others here say they trust no-one and fear for the future.
"She wants to be like the kids in the Western world, to play, to have complete freedom. In the future if she wants to travel, if she wants a normal life, she can't have this in Gaza. Israel's siege controls our lives."
Twelve months after Israel's military operation, Gaza is still battered and bruised. Hamas, Israel's enemy, remains in power.
Mariam's family, like so many others here, say they trust no-one and fear for the future.