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What’s It Like to Be 13-year-old Growing Up in Gaza?

EDITOR’S NOTE:

This article, from our archive, posted in 2018 during one of the old conflicts, is now being republished due to its importance.


What’s it like to be a 13-year-old growing up in Gaza strip? This is a very painful question to many Gazan kids.

For Bilal, it means wheeling, getting used to the sound of drones in the sky, and rushing to finish homework before the usual power cut causes the lights to go out.

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For more than 70 years, the regional conflict has impacted the lives of generations with blockades, armed clashes, and multiple wars.

But for a kid, the conflict becomes more than a daily burden that impacts all aspects of life. In this video, published by NBC in 2018, Bilal gives an insight into his life:

“Life in the Gaza Strip is very difficult,” said. “For example, we only get four hours of electricity per day. When I’m doing my homework, the electricity would suddenly cut. If it’s night and I can’t get out, then I have to stop studying.”

Bilal would like to be a computer specialist, he said, “like a programmer. Technology affects everything in our lives these days. It can improve everything.”

Click to watch the original video on NBC.

(From Family/Life archives)