Hazem Rahma, 39, is a director at Mubarrat Al Rehmat orphanage in Gaza City.
What was your life like before 7 October?
I’m from Rimal, in Gaza City. My wife and I have worked at the orphanage since 2010. Before the war, we had 22 children. Most of them have no traceable family and many are disabled. They usually come to us at birth from hospitals because their families can’t afford to take care of them. Five of our wards are girls who are over 18, but since they have no families they stay with us.
How have you been coping since the war started?
Only my wife and I were able to stay to look after the children. For a while, we managed; we had solar panels and water. But food started to run out and the bombings got closer and closer to us. Understandably, the children were very distressed. There was a lot of anxiety, crying and bed-wetting.
