(Seventh Food Parcel Distribution during the War)
We are grateful to share good news! Our team in Gaza is nearing the completion of the seventh round of food parcel distribution for children with PKU — a rare genetic disorder that requires a special low-protein diet to prevent brain damage.
This was time-sensitive, so we bought the items on credit, and now we ask for your help to pay the bill. Donate Here
So far, we have reached 156 families in Khan Younis, Al-Mawasi, and Deir Al-Balah. Each parcel contained fresh fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, cucumbers, onions, avocados, apples, tomatoes, and eggplants.
Unfortunately, 37 beneficiaries in northern Gaza are still in Gaza City. Our team is working hard to find safe solutions to deliver the parcels to them.
Under normal circumstances, PKU patients rely on specialized medical food and low-protein flour, in addition to an all-vegetarian diet, to maintain normal growth and health. Because of the war and the ongoing blockade, medical food and low-protein flour have been completely unavailable.
Thanks to your support, our team continues and will continue to deliver carefully prepared food parcels filled with fresh fruits and vegetables to PKU patients. These parcels are more than food — they are lifelines, bringing hope, relief, and a chance for children to grow safely.Families share their struggles and hopes in the stories below.
⚠️ Warning: these are difficult stories to read.
Marwan’s Family Story
Four siblings are living with this condition: Marwan (24), Nesma (18), Layan (11), and Mahmoud (11). Their mother spoke with a trembling voice about their hardship:
“We were forced to flee from northern Gaza to the south. There was no space even to set up a tent. Everywhere was overcrowded, and renting land was unaffordable. We stayed with relatives, but the situation was unbearable. The tent we have is torn and broken, and we cannot replace it. With winter coming, I fear we will be flooded.
“We are eight people crammed into one tiny space with our belongings in Deir al-Balah. Vegetables and fruits are available in the market, but I have no money to buy them. Sometimes, I am forced to give my children food that harms them because I have no other choice.
“Layan’s blood level dropped to 9, and I cannot provide her with the medical care she needs. She becomes anxious, clenching her teeth and trembling at the sound of bombings. All of them suffer from weakness, anemia, and imbalance because they cannot follow the special PKU diet.
“I feel helpless. If I had even a small amount of money, I would buy fruits and vegetables to ease their pain. But right now, there is nothing — no flour, no milk, no proper shelter. Just fear, exhaustion, and the endless struggle to keep my children alive.”Despite all these hardships, the family expressed deep gratitude to Rebuilding Alliance for its continuous support, as it remains the only organization standing by PKU patients.
Mohammad’s Story: A Father of Three Daughters
Mohammad is the father of three daughters living with PKU — Menna (20), Shahd (16), and Donia (12). They recently received fresh fruits and vegetables from our team in Gaza as part of the PKU support program.
For children with PKU, nutrition is just as vital as medicine. Without access to their special PKU formula and safe foods, Menna, Shahd, and Donia are experiencing severe weakness, trembling, and loss of balance. Most foods contain ingredients that are harmful to them, putting their health in serious danger.
“We escaped with nothing but the clothes we were wearing. My home is gone, all of it. We need everything, even the basics.”
They survived a bombing. Their five-story home in Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood was completely destroyed in an airstrike. The family was buried under the rubble and pulled out alive — a miracle in itself. But tragedy struck: their eldest son, the family’s only breadwinner, was killed. Several cousins also died, and many more were wounded.
Now displaced in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, the family has no tent, no shelter — only a few sheets to shield the girls from the coming rains. Donia still suffers from shrapnel injuries in her hands.
PKU families in Gaza are holding on by a thread. Together, we can provide them with the nutrition they urgently need.
Hussam’s Struggle
Hussam, a boy in Gaza, recently received a supply of fresh vegetables and fruits from our team in Gaza. These fruits and vegetables are essential for Hussam as they help maintain his health and prevent permanent brain damage.
Hussam’s brother speaks with a heavy heart about the worsening situation:
“We are currently in Al-Mawasi, but we have no tent to shelter us. We desperately need a proper tent before the winter arrives. Hussam’s condition has deteriorated since the displacement. He cannot walk. When we fled, we had to move on foot, but Hussam was unable to walk, and we managed to get him a wheelchair with great difficulty.
“His health is very fragile. He is unusually irritable, with swollen eyes, and extreme weakness. We have no source of income to provide him with the vegetables or fruits he needs for his PKU diet.
“Even our neighbors are distressed by his sudden outbursts and cries. Hussam’s body is weak, and the lack of proper care is taking a serious toll on him.”
Families like Hussam’s are struggling to survive under unbearable conditions.Together, we can ensure they receive the nutrition and care they urgently need.
Jamal – A 10-Year-Old Boy’s Hardship
Jamal, a 10-year-old boy living with PKU, is struggling severely due to the lack of proper nutrition.
His grandfather, who spoke with deep concern, shared his story:
“For the past two years, Jamal has not received the milk he needs for his condition. His symptoms have worsened dramatically. I try my best to grind rice for him, but it’s never enough. He desperately needs a steady supply of milk, vegetables, and fruits, but our financial situation is dire.”
Jamal has become extremely irritable, and rashes have started appearing all over his body. The displacement from northern Gaza to the south has made life excruciating. His family is now in desperate need of a tent or shelter to protect themselves from the harsh weather.
Even the most basic food items are unaffordable — one kilo of dates costs 30 shekels, tomatoes 80 shekels, and all the essentials Jamal once relied on are now out of reach. His grandfather explains:
“We cannot even buy a proper tent. Every day is a struggle just to keep him alive and somewhat comfortable.”
Omar – A 2-Year-Old Boy Struggles to Grow
Omar is only two years old, but life has already been unimaginably hard for him. He lives with Phenylketonuria (PKU) — a rare genetic disorder that makes eating protein life-threatening.
Through tears, his mother shares:
“My son is so weak. He has never walked, never crawled, and cannot even sit on his own. He cries constantly and refuses to eat. All I can give him is rice because there is nothing else. His hands and feet are so tiny; he cannot even hold anything.”
Omar’s family lives in a bomb-damaged home, now at risk of flooding as winter approaches. His mother adds:
“When he eats anything outside his restricted diet, his skin turns yellow. He has had no milk for two years because of the war. I can’t afford diapers, so I use pieces of cloth instead. Every night I go to sleep crying for my son.”Thanks to your continued support, Omar received a food parcel from Rebuilding Alliance as part of the 7th round of deliveries — bringing fresh vegetables to children like him who depend on them to survive.
Mohammad – A 9-Year-Old Boy’s Pain
Mohammad, a 9-year-old boy living with PKU, has endured unimaginable hardship. His father shares their painful reality:
“We used to live near Al-Shifa Hospital, but after the random shelling, we were forced to flee. We left with nothing — not even clothes. We don’t even have a tent. For now, we are staying in a relative’s tent, all of us together, but we urgently need a tent of our own.”
Without the proper food for his condition, Mohammad has become extremely irritable, often screaming due to constant fear . He eats whatever is available, and his father tries as much as possible to keep him away from harmful foods, but the situation is desperate and leaves him with little other options. Prices are unbelievably high, and his father simply cannot provide what he needs.
The fear and trauma have worsened his condition. He has become more aggressive and restless, and his father says with a broken heart:
“It tears me apart to watch him suffer this way, knowing I cannot help him.”
Families’ Shared Struggle
Most of the families who came to receive the parcels shared the same painful story of the trauma caused by their displacement from the north to the south of Gaza.
Their greatest wish is simple: to have tents or plastic sheets to protect their children and themselves from the harsh weather.
They expressed deep gratitude to the Rebuilding Alliance for the continuous support, which gives them hope in the midst of this hardship.
At the same time, they wished that this kind of assistance could be provided more than once a month, as the situation is extremely difficult and their needs are overwhelming.
