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You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Friday, March 28th. I'm Greg Dixon. Ramadan, a sacred month for Muslims, is coming to an end. It's a time for fasting during the day and feasts with family in the evening.
NPR producer Anas Baba is in Gaza and tells us there the Muslim holy month began with the hope of continued peace. But when the ceasefire with Israel collapsed, things changed. Here's Anas. It's 2 a.m. Three young men are walking through one of Gaza's destroyed neighborhoods. One beats a drum, carried over his shoulder. The other two sing Islamic chants.
They're loud, and that's the point. They are waking up people, reminding them to eat before another day of fasting begins at dawn. Ramadan in Gaza has also sounded like this. Israel resumed war in Gaza on the second week of Ramadan. Gaza health officials say airstrikes have killed nearly a thousand people, including hundreds of children. The military ordered people to flee their homes again.
A brief ceasefire had brought hope the war might end. But that hope has now been shattered. Issam Zakoud says he doesn't know whether to flee his home or stay. He says this is psychological warfare. People are struggling to find food.
Israel allowed humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza during the pre-ceasefire. But for the past month, it's imposed a blockade on Gaza, barring all aid, even food, from entering. Israel says it's a pressure Hamas. Rights groups say it's collective punishment for civilians. Aid groups are now rationing supplies. The United Nations is pulling staff out of Gaza.
Hungry and tired people gather in front of a community kitchen. Fouad Nassar says before the war, he would break his fast with chicken, fish and kebabs. Now he spends two hours in line for beans. Rana al-Abadi is using canned food to cook a meal among piles of concrete debris.
Her apartment building was destroyed in an Israeli strike. Before the war, Palestinian dishes of spiced chicken, rice and vegetables were served every night of Ramadan. But now she's making pizza using canned food. Mushrooms, corn, sauce and cheese. She removed the microwave's insides and turned it into an oven.
Lighting a fire using foam from big mattresses her husband collected from under the rubble around the neighborhood. A lot of burnt foam sticks to her pizza dough. That's what her children will eat tonight. She wants to make them happy any way she can. She has no other choice. She says, before, Ramadan was full of variety, colors and flavors. Now, we barely have anything.
At the beginning of the holy month, some families gathered outdoors for free Ramadan meals organized by an Egyptian charity. Now, daily Israeli airstrikes make it too dangerous to gather like this. And in war, there is nothing to celebrate. But during that one week of Ramadan, families were able to gather together after months of displacement.
They loved so much. But children played. It was quality time, with the vibe of a family reunion. Just one moment where they could forget everything and enjoy a Ramadan meal together without war. For NPR News, I'm Anas Baba in Gaza. That's the state of the world from NPR. Thanks for listening.
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