Moving between displacement camps and piles of rubble in Gaza City, 22-year-old Palestinian Sawsan al Sultan delivers food and water to families affected by Israel’s genocidal war.
Using Turkish she taught herself as a child, al Sultan has built connections with Turkish humanitarian organisations to secure assistance for displaced Palestinians.
Anadolu accompanied her in the al Karama neighbourhood, northwest of Gaza City, as she distributed hot meals, bread and drinking water to dozens of families in cooperation with the Turkish association Hayatta Iyilik Var (There is Goodness in Life).
The families live in crowded tents amid widespread destruction, with limited access to food, clean water and basic shelter.
Around 2.15 million Palestinians are living in displacement conditions, including approximately 867,000 in deteriorating tents and more than 1 million in shelters.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000, while destroying around 90 percent of civilian infrastructure, according to figures cited in the report.
From childhood interest to humanitarian work
Al Sultan, a law student studying in English at al Azhar University in Gaza City, said her interest in Turkish began during childhood. She dreamed of visiting Türkiye and studying there, prompting her to learn the language independently.
“Since childhood, I have dreamed of learning Turkish and mastering it,” she told Anadolu.
“I dreamed of going to Türkiye to study, and I worked hard to learn the language on my own,” she added.
She learned by watching Turkish television dramas and other productions, memorising expressions and practising regularly. Her family initially did not know she was studying the language.
When the war began, she realised her Turkish skills could help communicate the suffering of Palestinians to audiences and humanitarian organisations abroad. She said she began using the language around two years ago to raise awareness and mobilise assistance.
Al Sultan now works as a spokeswoman, translator and media professional with several Turkish organisations, including Hayatta Iyilik Var. Her responsibilities include communicating with donors, identifying displaced families’ needs and helping distribute aid.
Aid reaches thousands as needs grow
“We have managed to reach thousands of poor and displaced families and carried out numerous projects in northern and southern Gaza, although our focus is on residents and displaced people in the north,” she said.
Working in displacement camps, al Sultan said she regularly sees families struggling with inadequate shelter, deteriorating health and education services, and shortages of basic necessities.
She described the humanitarian situation as “worse than anyone could imagine”.
Winter deepens shelter concerns
With winter approaching, al Sultan expressed concern about families living in worn-out tents, particularly in low-lying areas vulnerable to flooding.
“Winter has caught displaced people off guard as they sleep on the ground and shelter under the open sky in worn-out tents that offer no protection from the cold or rain,” she said.
According to an October 15 report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, around 950,000 displaced people live in locations facing moderate to high flood risks. The report said 294,250 families needed shelter assistance before the rainy season.
Al Sultan said current relief efforts focused on distributing winter blankets, plastic tarpaulins and tents.
“All relief efforts currently underway in Gaza fall short of even the most basic needs,” she told Anadolu.
She said the assistance amounted to emergency measures rather than sustainable solutions involving reconstruction, rubble removal or temporary housing.
The International Organization for Migration warned on October 9 that around 2 million Palestinians in Gaza still needed shelter assistance. Available supplies covered only 17 percent of winter shelter needs because of funding shortages and Israeli restrictions on essential supplies, it said.
Al Sultan called on international organisations to provide displaced families with safe shelter until sustainable solutions to the housing crisis could be found.
Gratitude to Türkiye and hopes of visiting
Despite the humanitarian crisis, al Sultan said she remained determined to fulfil her childhood dream of visiting Türkiye.
She expressed gratitude to the Turkish government and people for their humanitarian, political and media support for Palestinians.
“I thank the Turkish state, its government and people, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Gaza, for all their humanitarian and relief efforts, their political, media and charitable support, and their sincere prayers,” she said.
Al Sultan called for continued and increased assistance to help displaced families cope with their difficult living conditions.
