A man planting a mint seedling and in the background a man raking the land.

Alef ​Multimedia/​​Oxfam

Gaza crisis update

Growing hope in Gaza: Mohammed's story

Before the war, Mohammed, 29, lived in Gaza City with his wife, children, parents, and brother. Their two-storey home stood beside more than two dunams of land, roughly half an acre, planted with old orange trees.

“We had a good life,” he said. “Not rich, but comfortable. We had a home, work, land and trees.”

Mohammed's life before war

Mohammed had studied law and imagined an ordinary future for his family. Even during the war, he enrolled in an online education diploma, trying, as he put it, “to fight fear with study”. But after his home was destroyed, his dream of working in law felt increasingly out of reach. Survival became the priority.

When his home was destroyed and his young son was injured, Mohammed struggled to feed his family. His weight fell from 105 kilograms to around 60.

But Mohammed was determined to find a way to provide for his family. With support from the Agricultural Development Association, a Palestinian Oxfam partner, he received seedlings, irrigation lines, a water tank, fertilisers, and advice to help him create a home garden.

He began growing tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, and leafy vegetables. The garden helped feed his family, and he shared what he could with neighbours and relatives when food became scarce.

“

They taught us how to build a home garden in these circumstances...I discovered that I can provide part of my food with my own hands.”

Mohammed, Gaza resident

Alef ​Multimedia/​​Oxfam

A man sitting on top the rubble of his house with his three children.

Mohammed's determination

When Mohammed's family was displaced again, the garden was destroyed. After losing everything he had worked to grow, Mohammed faced the challenge of starting over once more. Following the ceasefire announcement, he returned and began rebuilding his garden.

Mohammed’s story shows the determination and ingenuity of people in Gaza, who continue to find ways to care for their families and communities in the face of a genocide.

With support from Oxfam and our local partners, people can put their own knowledge and determination into action. But families should not have to rebuild their lives again and again. They deserve safety, dignity and the opportunity to shape their own futures.

We must keep standing alongside communities in Gaza and demanding a future where people can live safely and with dignity.

An Oxfam staff member preparing food parcels to be distributed in North Gaza.

An Oxfam staff member preparing food parcels to be distributed in North Gaza.

What is Oxfam doing in Gaza?

Alongside supporting communities such as Mohammed's, Oxfam and our local partners* continue to provide vital support wherever access allows.

Together with Palestinian organisations, Oxfam has helped reach more than 1.3 million people with essential support since October 2023. This includes:

  • Emergency food assistance, food parcels, cash and vouchers.
  • Supporting home gardens and small-scale food production.
  • Clean water and sanitation by trucking in water and repairing badly damaged water and wastewater pipelines.
  • First aid kits, hygiene kits, protection kits and cleaning supplies.
  • Blankets, mattresses and sleeping mats to families forced to live in tents.
  • Legal aid and protection against gender-based violence.
  • Professional psychosocial support, especially for children deeply traumatised by the horrors they are enduring. This includes recreational activities to help restore a sense of normality.

Oxfam has worked in the occupied Palestinian territory since the 1950s. We have supported communities in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem to tackle the root causes of conflict, build resilience, and protect people’s rights.

Working alongside Palestinian organisations and communities, Oxfam will continue to support access to essential services, including drinking water, hygiene and dignity kits, and cash transfers. Together, we will also continue to speak out against injustice and call for accountability.

Donate to Gaza

Funds raised from this appeal will support people in Gaza, and may also be used to support communities in the West Bank and Lebanon.

*Our local partners include:

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Juzoor, The Cultural & Free Thoughts Association, Palestinian Environmental Friends, Palestine Agricultural Relief Committee, Atfaluna, The Association for Women and Child Protection, The Economic and Social Development Centre of Palestine, The Palestine Developmental Women Studies Association, The Agricultural Development Association, Aisha Association for Women and Child Protection, Youth Vision Society, Fares Al Arab, The Gaza Culture and Development Group, Tamer Institute for Community Education, Women's Affairs Center.