What Life is Like in Bethlehem
Dec 23, 2024
I’m from Bethlehem, Palestine. This is my home. My family has been rooted here for generations. I have spent my entire life in this city—47 years born and raised. I’ve been with Anera since 1999, marking 25 years as of last month. I hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a master’s in…
Read MoreCelebrating Life in Gaza: Happy Birthday, Hayat!
Dec 13, 2024
Today marks one year since you entered this world. Your name, Hayat, means “life,” but this first year has been anything but. It’s been a year of grinding displacement, hunger, and struggle. We’ve moved back and forth between Deir Al Balah and Rafah, never knowing where we’ll end up next. The only refuge I can…
Read MorePregnant in a War Zone: My Journey of Love, Fear, and Survival
Dec 10, 2024
We are pleased to welcome Tahani as Anera’s new communications officer in Gaza. She wrote this piece last month, prior to joining Anera, and has since given birth to a healthy baby boy. I am nine months pregnant, in Gaza, under the relentless strain of Israeli warfare. Every morning, I rise with the weight of…
Read MoreRoots in Palestine: Dedicated to Palestinian Refugees Since 1968
by Anera
May 15, 2024
For Palestinians around the world, May 15th marks the “Nakba” (literally “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic) which commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus during the establishment of the State of Israel. Nakba Day 2022 For Palestinians around the world, May 15th marks the “Nakba” (literally “disaster” or “catastrophe” in Arabic) which commemorates the 1948 Palestinian exodus…
Read MoreReviving the Tradition of Community Kitchens in Gaza
by Anera
Feb 2, 2024
Anera is delivering food to displaced, hungry families in Gaza through community kitchens we’re calling tekia (takiyya, tkiya), based on a beautifully simple concept that began almost 10 centuries ago. Historians differ on the exact the word to describe these kitchens – tekia, ‘imaret, aqhane or darü’z-ziyafe – but what we know for sure is…
Read MoreA Primer on Gaza
by Anera
Jan 11, 2024
The Gaza Strip is a 25-mile long stretch of coastal land (141 square miles, 365 square kilometers) that is home to a growing population of more than two million people. For such a small place, Gaza has a name everyone recognizes around the globe, but few really understand its history, culture and overall situation. Early…
Read MoreFrom Home to Homeless in Gaza
by Ahmad Najjar
Dec 31, 2023
Greetings from Gaza, the most miserable place in the world, where rivers are made of blood not water. I am writing to share the latest chapter of my story, as I am certain that my and other Gazans’ experiences right now are profound enough to fill volumes with accounts that have yet to cross anyone’s…
Read MoreCelebrating Hayat
Dec 21, 2023
Last Thursday’s dawn, my daughter arrived – a triumph over fear and anticipation. We named her Hayat (“Life”) because her birth is a victory of life amid the death and devastation we are experiencing daily in Gaza. With her first touch, my mind traveled through the 70 days of bombing, displacement, hunger and thirst. Life,…
Read MoreWhat I Saw in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon
May 25, 2023
I joined Anera in 2015. When I first started, I was taken aback at just how impressive and thoughtful Anera’s programs were (and still are!). The humanitarian and development needs in the communities where Anera works are frequently all too visible, and often it is tempting to rush in with stopgap measures to address acute distress.
Read MoreBreast Cancer Under Occupation: a Personal Perspective
Mar 16, 2023
Breast cancer is a disease that affects millions of women around the world. In fact, one in every eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. For women living in conflict zones, including the West Bank and Gaza, breast cancer can be particularly scary. When I first learned about the high breast cancer death…
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