Sonia Silva has been working in the embattled enclave since the beginning of November 2023, just one-month after the terror attack by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel that sparked the brutal conflict.
She spoke to UN News about the misery people have experienced in recent days.
“In my one year and eight months in Gaza, this past week has been by far the worst. The only comparable experience was the Rafah incursion in May 2024, when the border was closed, but this week has been significantly more intense.
I live in UNICEF accommodation in Deir Al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.
Sonia Silva, UNICEF Head of Office in Gaza.
When you drive from south to north in the Gaza Strip, it looks as if there has just been a major natural disaster. The level of destruction has reached an unprecedented scale, devastating civilian infrastructure and entire neighborhoods.
Buildings are no longer standing. People are living in destroyed houses, tents and on the streets.
Seeing humanity in this condition is scary and fills me with a sense of doom and fear.
Terrifying offensive
Deir Al-Balah is or had been different.
It’s one of the few places in the Gaza Strip where urban infrastructure remains. It has been somewhat spared, compared to other areas.
That is until last Sunday evening, when a terrifying offensive was unleashed on Deir Al-Balah.
I have yet to see the level of destruction over the last few days, but reports indicate it is significant.
A building was destroyed by a rocket blast only 100 metres from where I normally sleep.
But, for 72 hours my colleagues and I barely slept. The explosions and gunfire were incessant.
It is stronger than you.
Your body knows something is wrong and is in an upper state of alertness.
I was not scared, but I was deeply concerned about my national colleagues who were very close to the crossfire and who were trying to comfort young children.
Families evacuate from Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip
I am fortunate because I am an international civil servant and am entitled to a break. Every 4 to 6 weeks, I get to leave, I get to rest, I get to recharge my batteries.
But, not my Palestinian colleagues and their families, who have lived through this for more than 21 months, who have lost everything, their loved ones and belongings.
They don’t get to switch off.
UNICEF staff vaccinate children against polio in September 2024.
The ongoing shortages of food are making things worse. It affects the entire population, including our frontline partners, our national colleagues and all the supporting staff.
What has struck me most about Gaza is that despite the hardship, colleagues keep going, colleagues keep teasing each other, colleagues who have lost everything show the utmost generosity and solidarity.
I would like to pay tribute to all of my colleagues and our partners who are hanging on to fragments of hope for a better life but still keep essential services running.
They are the best of humankind in a place abandoned by humanity.”