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Palestinian boy's emotional plea for food in Gaza

Palestinian boy's emotional plea for food in Gaza

CNN8 hours ago

A Palestinian boy asked a journalist to share his message about the realities of food distribution in Gaza. He was on his way to a flour distribution site in Gaza City with his father, who gave permission for the boy to be filmed.

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I moved 22 hours away to start a new job. A couple I met by chance took me in, and now they're like family to me.
I moved 22 hours away to start a new job. A couple I met by chance took me in, and now they're like family to me.

Yahoo

time20 hours ago

  • Yahoo

I moved 22 hours away to start a new job. A couple I met by chance took me in, and now they're like family to me.

I was excited to start a new job in a new city, but also a bit nervous. A chance meeting with a couple in a cable store turned into a years-long friendship. Their kindness helped me adjust to my new surroundings. When thinking about family, whether they are distant relatives or close loved ones, we rarely would consider outsiders, let alone strangers. But that hasn't been my experience. While it may sound like a lot of work, making new genuine connections can be easy; sometimes it's as simple as finding a common interest with a person. As random as it might sound, that's exactly how I was able to meet a lovely couple at a cable store in Nebraska. For someone who had just moved 1,500 miles away from my hometown of Virginia to work as a journalist for the local news station, the last thing I ever expected I'd do is talk to strangers. But in retrospect, everyone was a stranger, including my new coworkers. After a 22-hour drive from Virginia Beach to Kearney, my parents and I had finally made it to our destination, and all that I could think about the entire way, as we reached each city limit sign was "What have I done?" My parents were about to drop me off in the middle of nowhere. "Why aren't they stopping me?" I thought as we got closer. It was bittersweet — celebrating a huge accomplishment, stepping into my career, all while getting emotional at each restaurant during the road trip. It wasn't until then that I realized the importance of spending time with family. The smallest things made me cry: watching my dad go up to the breakfast buffet at Shoney's for seconds and thirds, and seeing my mom ask for French vanilla coffee creamer. I contemplated telling them just to take me back home, but I had to commit to my decision. Picking up my keys from the apartment leasing office seemed to be the only thing that could cheer me up — sure, I was sad, but who wouldn't feel accomplished moving out of their parents' house? They were set to fly back home that following Monday, so helping me get settled was our main goal for the next few days. Everywhere we went, it felt as though we stood out as a Black family in Kearney. But like most talkative dads, mine didn't care, and he'd have small talk about sports with random people to get a feel of the environment. Setting up my cable service was a priority. Little did I know, it would be a turning point for me. As we were choosing cable plans, my dad started chatting with a white couple who were also setting up their services. They began telling us the ins and outs of living there — helpful information that I needed to know. A few people shared insights with me on the area, but to hear it from actual residents made a huge difference. As a Black woman in her early 20s moving to a strange place, the couple made me feel welcome. They were aware that I relocated for work and shared that their daughter had also just moved for college, so we had something in common. Assuming that the connection was just a one-off situation where I'd never hear from them again, they proved me wrong. My mom and the man's wife became Facebook friends, which made me even more comfortable with the idea of reaching out. After all, the connection was completely normal, just two mothers posting about how much they love their kids. After months of living in Kearney, finally accepting that I needed a wholesome bond to make me feel at home, I decided to take the couple up on an offer to go to church together. And there I was on a Sunday morning with people I met at a cable store. Was I nervous? Of course. But about 20 minutes into the service, it hit me that there are genuinely good people in the world. So when they invited me out for brunch afterwards, there was no hesitation in my mind — I even rode with them to the restaurant. On the ride, they shared more details about the area, helping me to become more acquainted with my environment. They made me feel comfortable, and at home, something I needed at the time. Since moving back to Virginia, our relationship has been limited to Facebook updates, but at least I know that I will always have family in Nebraska. Read the original article on Business Insider

Internet and phone outage in much of Gaza disrupts humanitarian operations and deepens isolation
Internet and phone outage in much of Gaza disrupts humanitarian operations and deepens isolation

Yahoo

timea day ago

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Internet and phone outage in much of Gaza disrupts humanitarian operations and deepens isolation

CAIRO (AP) — A breakdown in communications networks in central and southern Gaza has cut many Palestinians off from the outside world for the past week, further straining aid efforts and emergency services amid continuing Israeli bombardment. Israeli strikes damaged a main connection, cutting off communications in large areas of the strip since Tuesday, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The telecom company Paltel said Friday that internet and landline services were restored in some areas in southern Gaza, including Khan Younis, with repairs ongoing in other southern and central areas. Paltel warned in a statement to AP that ongoing attacks on the main network could make future maintenance impossible, especially due to a shortage of essential materials and resources. The Gaza Strip has experienced at least 10 communications partial and full outages since the war began in October 2023, according to Palestinian telecom company Paltel. This week's outage has impacted aid efforts, emergency services, suspended academic classes, and cut off displaced Palestinians from the rest of the territory. Palestinians in Gaza rely heavily on cell service, as unsafe roads and fuel shortages limit movement across the enclave. Humanitarians say those in affected areas will struggle to access information on aid and medical services or call for ambulances. 'Telecoms have been used as a weapon of war against civilians,' said Juliette Touma, communications director at UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugee that is the main service provider in Gaza. The IDF didn't immediately respond to request for comment. The vast majority of UNRWA workers don't have connectivity in the areas affected by the outages. As a result, they and other aid workers have struggled to deliver aid and coordinate with one another, Touma told the AP. 'Sometimes we get a signal when a team member has the courage to go on the rooftop of a building, which is extremely dangerous under strikes, and they send us a message that they're alive. I can't tell you how much of a relief it is, but they're more sporadic and less regular,' said Touma. Some people rely on E-sims, but they are not compatible with all devices and can only work in certain areas. Unreliable mobile service Over 70% of telecommunications networks in Gaza has been partially or completely destroyed as of August 2024 since the war began, according to statistics released by the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy, cited by the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute. However, Paltel said technical teams offered some technical solutions that would restore services. When they hear nearby strikes, Palestinians without connection don't know whether evacuation orders are issued and where should they relocate to, said Shaina Low, the Norwegian Refugee Council's communications adviser. 'This also means that people are isolated. They can't communicate with their family and friends inside of Gaza and understand what the current situation is or get external support from networks outside,' she said. Limited or unreliable mobile service has made it difficult for ambulances and civil defense teams to reach people in need of life-saving assistance, Low added. Fikr Shalltoot, Gaza director for the group Medical Aid for Palestinians, said its doctors working in hospitals and clinics in effected areas can't document or share their work with managers. 'Targeted daily' Meanwhile, with Gaza's university campuses heavily damaged, the internet has become the only way to continue education. But outages have forced educators to cancel classes and exams. 'It is, unfortunately, like a never-ending vicious cycle of suffering because when this issue is resolved in the north, the problem appears in the south,' said Mohammed Shbair, vice president for administrative and financial affairs, at al-Azhar University in Gaza. 'Students cannot reach universities because they are destroyed, and they can't even reach areas where the internet is available in cafes or displacement tents, as they are now being targeted daily and systematically by Israeli strikes,' said Shbair, an associate professor of public law. Online banking, a key alternative amid cash shortages, has also become unavailable. Palestinians who rely on online transfers to pay suppliers can no longer do so under the current conditions, according to Low. The outage complicates humanitarian operations and adds to the 'toxic stress' families face daily, said UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram. 'In a context of incessant bombardments, mass casualty events linked to food distributions, rising malnutrition and dwindling access to clean water, connectivity is a real lifeline for families in Gaza,' she said. By Fatma Khaled, The Associated Press

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