When a mother's milk runs dry

Randa desperately tries to feed her children

'My body had nothing left to give her,' Randa says. 'I would hold her, and she would cry, and I would cry with her. I couldn’t feed my own baby.'

Desperate to keep her four children alive, Randa tried to create something, anything, that felt like food. 'I boiled water and added spices to make fake food for my children,' she says. 'Sometimes we only had one meal a day. Sometimes even that felt impossible.'

Bara'a's health quickly deteriorated. From four to six months old, she remained at just 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms) and was unable to feed properly. She was hospitalised three times.

'I watched her getting smaller,' Randa says. 'She wasn’t growing. She wasn't getting stronger.

'Every day I woke up in fear. I would check her breathing, touch her chest to feel her heart. I lived in constant fear that one day I would wake up and she wouldn't be there.'

The aftermath of the famine did not end when food became available again. Losing her mother's milk at such a critical stage reshaped Bara'a's feeding and growth.

'Even when food supplies started to reenter Gaza, my milk didn't return,' Randa says. 'My body didn't recover. And she never went back to feeding from me. From that moment, everything changed for her.'

Much-needed help arrives for Bara'a

At their primary healthcare clinics, Tearfund’s partner Anera began giving Bara’a nutritional supplements and fortified high-energy biscuits. Randa was guided on how to feed her daughter the supplements, support her recovery and continue care inside the tent.

'They showed me how to feed her properly,' Randa says. 'They taught me how to give her strength again. For the first time, I felt like I wasn't alone.'

Slowly, Bara'a began to respond. Her body started absorbing nutrients. Her energy returned. Her weight increased.

'Every day I looked at her, I saw change,' Randa says. 'Her face became fuller, and her body felt warmer in my arms. She started moving more and laughing.'

In just one month, Bara'a gained three kilograms. She now weighs 15.5 pounds (seven kilograms) at 11 months old. She is stronger, more active, able to sit and interact normally for her age.

In emergency conditions, where families are malnourished and food is scarce, access to consistent nutrition and health services can mean the difference between life and death, and between permanent harm and thriving.

'She doesn't even have teeth yet, and every time I feed her, I check to see if they’ve come in. I hope for the day she can bite and chew like other children,' Randa ends.

'Before, I was just trying to keep her alive,' Randa says. 'Now, I can finally think about her growing up.'

Our work with Anera in Gaza

Anera has deep roots and more than 25 years of history in Deir Al Balah. A monastery was built there in the mid-fourth century AD, giving it its name which translates to 'Monastery of the Date Palm'.

Tearfund is currently working with Anera to fund three clinics, including the one where Bara'a and Randa receive care. They also provide hot meals and other basic supplies to communities in need thanks to funding from Tearfund. Through Anera, we are helping humanitarian workers manage the psychological impact of their work in such distressing circumstances as well.

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Through Anera, we're able to follow Jesus where the need is greatest and show his love and compassion for communities in desperate need.

With persistent breaches of the ceasefire and limited aid access, the situation remains incredibly precarious for people in Gaza. Your faithful support not only responds to God's call to love our neighbour, but it also ensures we can continue to serve people like Bara'a, who are affected by ongoing instability in Gaza.