Occupied Jerusalem -

2009 The United Nations General Assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day to recognize the efforts of humanitarian workers and those who have lost their lives for it.

The American woman with Palestinian roots, Fatima Awad, did not know that she would one day be a haven and a star shining in the sky of humanitarian work after her return to Palestine a year and a half ago, and her involvement in the humanitarian field.

Fatima Awad was born and raised in Washington state, and she visited the village of Deir Dibwan - east of Ramallah - from which she hails for the first time when she was a 15-year-old girl, but she did not fit in and did not feel a sense of belonging at the time, she says.

Fatima was born in the United States and stayed there until she obtained her doctorate in nursing before heading to Palestine for good (Al Jazeera Net)

The girl grew up and sat on university studies in America with a specialization in nursing, then obtained her master’s and doctorate degrees in the medical field as well, and 6 years ago her life was turned upside down when she was volunteering in a humanitarian organization and adopted a child from the Gaza Strip who came from Khan Yunis camp for treatment in America .

Waseem (7 years old) and his mother lived in Fatima’s house for 6 months during his intensive treatment journey that culminated in the installation of prosthetic limbs for him. .

Fatima says to Al-Jazeera Net, "Waseem's temporary visit changed the course of my life, and as soon as he left America, I decided to travel to Palestine and enter its camps, and on my way there I stopped in Jordan and visited the Gaza camp in Jerash, and in Palestine I visited Qalandia camp, Al-Jalazun, Al-Amari and others, and I was shocked by the horror What I saw of poverty, disease and an unhealthy environment."

One of the events organized by the United for Humanity Foundation at Al-Mutlaa Hospital in Jerusalem for sick children (Al-Jazeera Net)

individual initiatives

Fatima returned to America and conveyed what she experienced to her friends, and they began collecting donations through individual initiatives for refugees in the camps. The area of ​​aid expanded to include refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. After the need and requests for assistance increased, Fatima decided to launch the “United for Humanity” foundation and officially registered it in the United States, which allowed her The opportunity to move and work smoothly.

With the arrival of the Corona pandemic in Palestine in February 2020, Fatima received many appeals in light of the deteriorating economic conditions of the citizens, so she decided to leave America for Palestine permanently and devote herself to meeting the needs of the population by providing medicines, food supplies, clothes and paying house rents to dozens of needy families.

In Jerusalem, Fatima’s relationship with Al-Mutla’ Hospital in the Mount of Olives was strengthened, and there she met dozens of children with kidney and cancer patients and their companions coming from the Gaza Strip and West Bank governorates, and her humanitarian work took a new turn with this category of her people.

Sick children participate in an event by the United for Humanity (Al-Jazeera Net)

Al Jazeera Net accompanied her on a visit to the hospital, and in the children’s department, we were amazed by the extent of her sympathy with the mothers of the patients and her attempt to know the details of the medical files of the resident children and her keenness to talk to them and how she urged them to stay strong, and during her distribution of tablets to children she was keen to know the gifts they wish its acquisition.

"I visited several hospitals, but I was attached to this hospital and I was impressed by the medical staff's handling of difficult cases of children, and they believe in the importance of our humanitarian work, not limited to distributing gifts, but also organizing entertainment events and unloading sessions for children and their companions, in addition to what the hospital offers in this aspect." .

The most prominent phrase that this young woman said during her meeting with Al Jazeera Net is that she finds her happiness in visiting Jerusalem and the sick children and her psychological comfort in the smile that smiles on their faces when seeing her, “I succeeded academically and professionally and reached high ranks in America, but I feel that my real success is here in Jerusalem and with these patients.” ".

Fatima Awad: I feel happy visiting Jerusalem and sick children (Al Jazeera Net)

The dream is to visit Gaza

Fatima is now seeking to officially register her institution in Palestine, rejecting the idea of ​​returning to live in America, and about her wish that has not yet been fulfilled, she said, "Visiting Gaza will remain my biggest dream... I wish to visit it and bring joy to the hearts of its residents. Joy to the hearts of those who live there and live in very difficult living conditions."

And about the most difficult situations that she has gone through since her arrival in Palestine, she said that she was on a tour of the children's department at Al-Mutalaa Hospital two months ago and visited a child from Gaza who was crying bitterly, as well as his mother next to him, and she thought at first glance that he was crying out of pain because he was suffering from cancer.

But minutes later, I asked his mother why, and she replied that they had received news of the bombing of their home in the last Israeli war on the Gaza Strip moments before.

Dr. Fadi Al-Atrash explained the importance of what Fatima Awad and her fellow volunteers are doing to patients in the hospital (Al-Jazeera Net)

She was silent for a moment, then said, "I have been watching what is happening in Gaza on TV all my life, but I have not experienced the suffering of one of its residents as closely as two months ago...Visiting this spot will remain my utmost wish."

Deputy Executive Director of Al-Mutla’ Hospital, Dr. Fadi Al-Atrash, touched on the importance of what Fatima Awwad and other volunteers are doing, especially that the category treated by the hospital needs a long stay.

"It is necessary to meet the children's needs for entertainment and psychological support so that their thinking during their treatment journey does not focus on disease and pain only, and we provide, in accordance with protocols, comprehensive care for children that includes the medical, psychological, human, social, economic and nutritional aspects, and we consider volunteers an important and supportive part of our staff."