The only thing saving us is us | First Person

The New Humanitarian

“We constantly urge each other to remain tender toward one another”.

Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Nour ElAssy, a poet and writer, reflects on a year since Israel began a total war against the entirety of the Gaza Strip and its population. From Deir al-Balah, where she now lives with 27 other family members after fleeing her home on 7 October last year, she contemplates “what it means to have a family, to be a human, and to support each other selflessly”.

Read Nour’s story: Amid all the darkness: How kindness helped me survive one year of Israel’s genocide in Gaza

The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Listen to more First Person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.