A SCOTTISH aid worker has spoken of her harrowing experience of the devastation in Gaza.
Katie Roxburgh, Christian Aid's programme manager for the Middle East, has been supporting the efforts of aid workers in Gaza for more than a year.
Writing in The National, Roxburgh (below), from Glasgow, said the situation in Gaza has inflicted “unimaginable trauma” on the most vulnerable citizens, as she recalled families struggling to survive after being displaced multiple times.
More than £1.4 million has already been raised in Scotland for the ongoing DEC appeal, allowing agencies to ramp up vital aid to those in need.
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Roxburgh said: “On a daily basis, my colleagues there tell me it’s really the most difficult situation any human can imagine – or can’t imagine – to be in.
“People have lost everything – homes, loved ones, and even a sense of normality. The streets are littered with corpses that children are forced to witness, hospitals and schools have been obliterated, and entire communities have been reduced to rubble."
Roxburgh emphasised the desperation of families, who are often surviving on just one meal a day, with parents sacrificing their own rations to feed their children.
Hygiene is also a severe issue, with limited access to showers and basic sanitation increasing the risk of disease.
Yet despite this grim reality, Roxburgh said there is still hope among the people of Gaza and the aid workers who have been working to save lives.
“People here have been through the worst possible year that you can imagine and yet are still going. Hope is the way they are getting through," she said.
"They imagine a better future, and that’s how they keep going."
'People in Gaza need our help'
Roxburgh also explained the impact of the conflict in Gaza on children, who are experiencing a "profound" psychological toll as a result of Israel’s military offensive.
She said: “There’s the trauma of witnessing death and destruction, but there’s also the sheer scale of disruption of their daily lives.
“Many schools have been destroyed or are being used to house thousands of displaced people, and the constant threat of bombardment looms over everything. Every day that puts fear into children."
Around two thirds of the 42,000 Palestinians killed since October 7 last year are believed to be women and children.
The DEC said around 17,000 children have been orphaned, while countless families have been displaced – often multiple times.
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Roxburgh highlighted the importance of continued support from the international community, especially as winter approaches.
She called on people to donate to the DEC appeal, which has raised more than £15m in the UK so far.
"There is hope here, and that hope is fuelled by the generosity of people here in Scotland.
"With more public support through the DEC, we can help families and their children in desperate need. Let us stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza, ensuring that hope prevails even in the darkest times.
"Together, we can make a difference."
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The DEC brings together 15 aid charities at times of crisis overseas where there is significant unmet humanitarian need.
There are currently 14 DEC member charities responding in Gaza and Lebanon and eight in the West Bank.
This includes six members fundraising in Scotland: British Red Cross, Oxfam, Islamic Relief, Save the Children, Tearfund and Christian Aid.
Donations can be made at decorg.uk or by calling 0330 123 0333. You can also text HOPE to 70676 to donate £10.
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