Thursday, 1 August 2024

Middle East conflict

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:45): On Friday I sat inside Geelong hospital holding Pippie and Bowie, my new niece and nephew. Instantly I felt the overwhelming urge to protect them, especially little Pippie, swaddled in special care with her cleft lip, weighing just 2.2 kilograms and receiving around-the-clock care. At the same time my phone pinged. It was a message from a mother in Gaza named Maisa and she was pleading with me to help. Maisa was messaging me from a tent with her children Ziad, Amal and Taim. Those who have survived relentless bombings are still at imminent risk of death by their consequences: starvation and chronic untreated illnesses. In fact most Gazans are at risk of famine within the next two months as aid continues to be restricted. Maisa’s younger son Taim has an injured eye that will not heal. Ziad was top of his class at school and had dreams of becoming a doctor. Now he cannot even access one himself. Maisa says Amal cries when she thinks of her old life in Gaza and their home before it was destroyed. As I sat in the hospital doting on my newest family members, the reality was clear: simply because of where they were born, Pippie and Bowie will never face such cruelty. This hospital will never be bombed, nor will their school or their family home turn to rubble. I donated to this family’s fundraiser. It remains one of the most meaningful actions individuals can take right now, so I am sharing this story in hopes others will too.