Lack of warm clothes for children forces Gaza parents to improvise for winter

Tailors recycle materials to help Palestinians brace for the cold

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Desperate families in Gaza are repurposing blankets and other fabrics into warm clothes for their children, as they brace for cold weather while being forcibly evicted repeatedly during the continuing war.

Iman Halmi, originally from Rafah city in the south of the Gaza Strip, was displaced to Al Mawasi in Khan Younis, along with her three children Mahmoud, Afnan and Tala, aged between three and six.

“As winter approaches and we are living in a tent that is so cold, I want my children to feel warm,” Ms Halmi told The National.

Exorbitant prices and shortages of winter clothing in the markets have pushed Gazans to find ways to ensure that their children stay warm as the temperatures start to drop. Inspired by her neighbours who have been turning blankets into clothes, Ms Halmi took a worn-out one to a tailor and asked him to make a pair of pyjamas out of it for her daughter Afnan, 6.

When Ms Halmi was forced out of her home by an Israeli military eviction order in the summer, she did not pack many clothes, thinking she would be away for only a short time. “It’s been six months since I left my home in Rafah. I’ve used this blanket, but now I have no choice but to turn it into clothes,” she said.

Her situation is not unique as many Palestinians displaced from their homes by Israeli operations have been forced to move to the overcrowded Israeli-designated “humanitarian zones” in Al Mawasi and Deir Al Balah, where one million people were living in dire conditions without proper access to food, water, shelter or sanitation as the Gaza war entered its second year on October 7.

The Israeli army declared the southern coastal area a “safe zone” months ago, but has attacked it repeatedly. Recent heavy rainfall has flooded tents, compounding the misery of displaced families and heightening fears of yet another difficult winter without adequate shelter and supplies.

Some have turned to alternative materials, including blankets, for a roof over their heads as access to tents is also limited, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has warned. It is calling for an increase in humanitarian aid and basic supplies amid an Israeli blockade.

Mohee Zaqout was forcibly displaced from northern Gaza where he worked as a tailor for 45 years and owned a sewing factory that was destroyed by Israeli strikes. He now tries to make a living by recycling fabrics into clothing in Al Mawasi where he is sheltering.

“I make something useful out of nothing,” he said. “I’ve recycled blankets, tablecloths, and curtains into T-shirts, trousers, jackets, and even hats. I’m trying to help people adapt to the situation; they are trying to create life, not just live it.”

Mr Zaqout started from scratch when he arrived in the south and, despite shortages of fabric, materials and spare parts for his sewing machine, he remains determined to help create new clothes for people out of the little that they have.

Kamal Tolan, 53, another tailor forced to move south from northern Gaza, has found himself in a similar position

“It all started when a man brought me a curtain and asked me to recycle it into something useful. I made him two sets of pyjamas from it,” said Mr Tolan, 53, who is from the northern town of Beit Hanoun.

“Then he brought another one, and I turned it into a dress for his daughter. After that, more people started bringing me fabric they no longer needed.”

It costs about 15 Israeli shekels (just over $3) to turn a blanket into a pair of pyjamas. While clothes made from blankets will provide warmth, they are far from ideal. The fabric is coarse and can cause irritation when in direct contact with the skin.

“I asked the tailor to add a layer of softer fabric between the blanket and my daughter's skin, especially around the abdomen, so it wouldn’t be irritating for her,” Ms Halmi said.

Saeed Abu Talekh could not find a blanket soft enough for his six-year-old daughter Leena's sensitive skin and plans to use the one he covers himself with. “Winter clothes are incredibly expensive, and even second-hand clothes are out of my budget,” he said.

But the blankets are limited and turning his into his daughter's clothes would leave him with no cover for warmth.

“This is just a temporary solution,” said Ms Halmi. “The fabric isn’t soft and could cause irritation on the children’s skin, but we don’t have other options.”

But another challenge the parents face is convincing their children to wear the clothes. Leena is resistant to the idea of wearing a recycled blanket, her father says. Ms Halmi said Afnan was surprised to find that the blanket she used to cover herself with turned into pyjamas. Although she wanted new clothes to show her friends, she was not keen on parading these, worried they would recognise the blanket.