Reviving communities home by home in Gaza

Rebuilding Lives One Family at a Time in Gaza

A Journey Back to Stability

Reviving communities home by home in Gaza - For Mayyada, a twenty-four-year-old expectant mother of twins, the relentless cycle of displacement has transformed every dimension of existence in the conflict-scarred territory of Gaza. Alongside her two-year-old daughter, she now finds herself gradually establishing roots in a temporary dwelling that offers a glimmer of normalcy after months of upheaval.

Originally hailing from the Jabalia refugee camp, Mayyada has lost track of how many times her household has been compelled to relocate since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October 2023. Her hopes remain steadfast despite the hardships: "I hope my children's future will be brighter than our present," she expressed with quiet determination.

The Weight of Constant Movement

Thousands of families across Gaza have endured similar trajectories, scrambling for any available refuge. Schools, emergency shelters, and improvised tents became their rotating residences, each transition bringing fresh challenges including cramped living conditions, safety concerns, and diminished personal space.

"From our home to another home, from school to school, from tent to tent," she reflected. "We move from one place to another. Every time we faced many struggles."

Today, Mayyada tends to a small garden while preparing for the arrival of her twins, finding moments of peace amid the uncertainty.

Community Restoration Through the Gaza Neighbourhood Approach

Recovery efforts extending throughout Gaza recognize that neighborhood revitalization extends beyond mere shelter provision. True restoration demands reconstructing the foundational conditions enabling communities to resume normal functioning.

Through the Gaza Neighbourhood Approach project, spearheaded by the UN Development Programme alongside the Palestinian Authority, UN sister organizations, and various partner entities, families such as Mayyada's are receiving assistance to relocate nearer to their original neighborhoods.

The newly constructed housing units incorporate comprehensive support including debris clearance, essential service rehabilitation, emergency job creation, and basic infrastructure restoration. These efforts operate under UNDP's REVIVE initiative—Relief, Employment and Vital Infrastructure for the Vulnerable in Emergencies—which extends its reach across six nations.

Art, Dreams, and Disrupted Futures

Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Mayyada earned her living as a portrait artist, creating and selling her paintings. "Painting was always the first thing I wanted to do wherever I lived," she shared. "But, since the war started, I haven't touched my art."

The conflict has fundamentally altered the trajectory she and her husband Ahmed had envisioned for their lives together. Their plans for marriage and establishing an independent household have been delayed by circumstances beyond their control.

"I hoped that we would have everything," she said. "I never expected that I would be living in tents for so long."

Each forced relocation required starting anew, with every temporary shelter introducing fresh difficulties. The basic comforts of privacy, consistency, and routine grew increasingly elusive as time passed.

From Tents to Temporary Homes

Mayyada recalls periods spent in tents alongside extended family members. "There were times when we lived in tents with my uncles and aunts," she remembered. "It was very difficult. There was no privacy at all."

Displacement stripped away more than physical shelter. Across the region, countless individuals have lost not only their means of livelihood but also the daily rhythms and personal passions that once structured their existence.

"All of these tents are close together and men and women must stay separately, making family life even more challenging," she noted.

During the March 2025 ceasefire, the family experienced brief respite by moving into Ahmed's family residence, which had survived the conflict intact. However, this stability proved fleeting. As displacement persisted, they once again sought whatever shelter remained available, frequently sharing tents with neighboring families.

"When we were displaced again, we had no chance to live by ourselves," Mayyada explained. "We had to stay in other people's tents."

Building Hope from What Remains

Ultimately, they returned to the location where their original home once stood, constructing a makeshift dwelling from whatever resources they could gather—old garments, wooden planks, and nylon tarps.

"We built it from whatever we had," she said. "But, these materials wear out very quickly."

Like thousands of other displaced households throughout Gaza, they confronted persistent exposure to weather conditions, degrading shelter components, and inadequate protection against insects and pests.

When Mayyada recently discovered that her family would receive a relief housing unit, she began eagerly counting the remaining days until relocation. "We were waiting for that moment," she recalled. "Just having a small, private place meant so much."

Today, these housing units offer the family a safer, more dignified living environment. Beyond mere shelter, they have restored a sense of privacy and stability while enabling the family to begin reconstructing their definition of home.

"I am trying to create a sense of stability for myself and for my family," she said. "As an artist, I want to make it beautiful."

The family now carries out daily routines with renewed purpose, finding strength in community support and the promise of gradual recovery. Through coordinated international efforts and local resilience, Gaza's neighborhoods are slowly returning to life, one family at a time.