Rafah, Gaza – The lack of nine-year-old Yazan, or Yazouna as his mom known as him, hangs like a darkish cloud over the el-Kafarna household’s tiny dwelling house.
They huddle collectively in a shelter that Sharif el-Kafarna rigged up out of bits of wooden, cardboard and sheeting in entrance of the third-floor door to the elevator in an UNRWA faculty in Rafah.
It’s tidy inside and a string of Ramadan bunting hangs on one wall, however nothing can conceal the truth that the household of 5 sleeps, prays, eats and spends all day in an area about eight metres sq. (80 ft sq.).
Breaking down, his mom wept: “That is our first Ramadan with out Yazan, God has ordained this for us and we can not complain, we will solely reward him and have religion.”
Yazan died on March 4 on the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, hooked as much as respiratory machines and IV drips, his physique having wasted away to nothing throughout 5 months of relentless conflict throughout which his household ran from one supposed “secure place” to a different, terrified, destitute and hungry.
He would have turned 10 on June 4.
A protected childhood
Yazan was recognized with cerebral palsy as a month-old toddler, amid an earlier Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in 2014.
His mother and father took nice pains to construction his life in Beit Hanoon the place they lived earlier than the conflict so he had the meals, dietary supplements and healthcare he wanted.
“Yazan wanted particular vitamin mixes for his psychological acuity and these injections to maintain his physique sturdy, in addition to physiotherapy which he wanted commonly.”
“He wanted wholesome meals as nicely, eggs, greens, fruits, dairy. He would additionally eat child cereal and we might puree meals for him so he might eat,” his father, Sharif stated.
He additionally obtained physiotherapy at residence by therapists from varied associations who would go to the household residence commonly. There have been additionally therapists who labored with him to supply psychological help and a few primary studying.
“He loved his classes, you possibly can see it in his eyes. He would smile, typically he’d clap, too, and his eyes would comply with what was taking place, just like the trainers speaking to him or exhibits on a display screen that we’d present him,” his father stated.
The little boy was thriving, and his mother and father celebrated him as a lot as they protected him.
![Yazan's mother weeps as she remembers him](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-14-at-16.05.03-1710421861.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C475)
“We’d have birthday events for Yazan. He would smile, he would clap when he heard music, he was transferring nicely, thank God.
“We’d do the entire thing, with a birthday cake and celebration meals, similar to we did for the opposite youngsters,” his mom stated.
Understanding and love
The couple has three surviving kids, eight-year-old Mouin, four-year-old Wael and four-month-old Mohamed, who was born weeks after Israel started its assault on Gaza on October 7.
Mouin was the closest of the brothers to Yazan, his mom instructed Al Jazeera.
“He would sit with him and watch him for me after I needed to be in one other room. He didn’t change his diapers or something like that, however he would spend hours with him simply watching one thing or chattering,” she stated.
As a result of Yazan couldn’t communicate, he made totally different sounds relying on what he wanted, his father stated.
“I couldn’t perceive what he needed to, nicely, his mum was the one who knew what he needed based mostly on the sound he was making,” he stated.
Yazan’s mom smiled fondly on the reminiscence of her relationship along with her eldest.
“He was nearer to me … such child, our relationship was nice and I all the time understood him. He’d make a specific noise when he was hungry, one other one if he was startled.
![Yazan's father speaks in their small shelter](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screenshot-2024-03-14-at-16.00.28-1710421884.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C431)
“I took him with me in every single place, to market, to my household’s locations, he simply got here alongside. We went to the seaside, too, however I didn’t put him within the sea as a result of I all the time fearful he’d get too chilly, I’d simply bathe him within the tub.”
Recollections of that previous life convey fleeting smiles to her face as she describes their two-bedroom residence with its massive lounge and kitchen the place the youngsters had house to play – now they huddle with their mother and father in a tiny house all day.
“Fridays we’d have a giant household meal, then take our afternoon siestas and exit to go to our households, both we’d go to my household or to my in-laws’,” she stated.
Sharif used to work as a driver, incomes sufficient cash to supply all the pieces the household wanted, particularly Yazan.
“I attempted to do the identical right here,” he stated. “We’re from Beit Hanoon, we have been displaced to Jabalia, then Nuseirat, then Deir el-Balah, and once we received right here, I made certain we had our personal house, so Yazan could be as comfy as I might handle for my son,” Sharif continued.
Struggle brings the start of the top
“I used to be so completely happy after I was watching my son rising daily when he had the meals and medicines he wanted. However then when the conflict began, he couldn’t get the therapy or the fitting meals any extra,” Sharif stated.
![Yazan looking at the camera](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/WhatsApp-Image-2024-03-14-at-3.47.40-PM-1-1710420986.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
They tried, he continued, as laborious they might to safe what Yazan wanted to outlive – smooth, nutritious meals that may very well be eaten by the little boy – however first, the provides dwindled, then the black market costs rose alarmingly, then lastly, there was no extra of the meals to be discovered.
Yazan’s well being started to deteriorate in entrance of his mother and father’ horrified eyes as they carried him of their arms from one supposed “secure” place of displacement to a different.
No quantity of softened bread scraps they gathered for him might assist hold him alert and powerful, and his already skinny body started to waste away.
“He began to deteriorate day after day. We didn’t have sufficient drugs so I’d attempt to skip days to make what we had stretch additional,” his father stated sadly.
“We took him to the hospital and he lived his final days on life help at Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital. By then he was now not ready to reply to something, not even his mom.”
Yazan spent 11 days within the hospital earlier than he died on March 4.
“I can always remember Yazan,” his mom stated, in tears.
“He’s in my coronary heart and thoughts each minute of day by day. Have a look at what’s taking place to our youngsters!”