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Gaza’s forgotten residents

El-Wafa Center for Aged Care, located in central Gaza, houses tens of elderly Palestinians with nowhere else to turn.

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The al-Nusirat branch of el-Wafa Centre for Aged Care began operating in November 2013. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
By Ahmed Deeb
Published On 17 Aug 2015

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Al-Nusirat, Gaza – Gaza’s el-Wafa Center for Aged Care is home to tens of elderly Palestinian men and women, many of whom suffer from physical ailments and have no relatives left to care for them.

The home, located in the central Gaza Strip, provides its residents with basic health services, meals and rehabilitative care. Caretakers at the centre, which offers its services free of charge, are paid by donors.

The home aims to strengthen ties between its elderly residents and the broader community. Some of the centre’s residents suffer from degenerative diseases, while others have simply been left alone in life with nowhere else to turn.

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The centre provides a variety of services, including meals, clothing, basic health care, physical therapy and rehabilitative services, among others. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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'We seek to embrace the category of elderly men and women,' Ahmed al-Raee, a doctor at the centre, told Al Jazeera. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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According to Dr. al-Raee, residents of the home must be 60 years of age or older, and unable to afford care on their own. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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If these conditions are met, residents are entitled to round-the-clock care, provided free of charge. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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Rahma Murad, a 92-year-old Syrian woman who married a man from Gaza, is among the centre's residents. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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Upon realising that she could not have children, Murad's husband left her. His sons later sent Murad to live at the centre, she explained. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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Murad, who is from Damascus, said she would one day like to return to Syria, but she fears it will not be possible. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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Many of the centre's elderly residents have no family members left to visit them. Occasionally, some are visited by distant relatives. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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Sadeq el-Khoudary 62, had his leg amputated due to diabetes, and then he lost the hearing in both of his ears. He also suffers from Alzheimer's disease. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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The centre functions entirely on donations, which are used to provide all the services and pay employees. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]
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The home aims to strengthen ties between its elderly residents and the broader community. [Ahmed Deeb/Al Jazeera]