Ramy* (name changed to protect his identity) is a Palestinian human rights advocate who is currently seeking asylum in the UK. He volunteers for the Refugee Council, providing guidance and support to others in the asylum system.  

Here Ramy speaks about how Palestinians will be marking Ramadan this year and the anguish it brings for those far from home.

I am in daily contact with the Palestinian community, especially the Gazan people, and I know that for all of us, Ramadan is very hard this year.

In Gaza there are no mosques because nearly all have been destroyed. There is no food, so people are starving, going without the basic essentials; even flour is extremely scarce. Ramadan is a time when people travel to meet with their families and have iftar together—now most of the families in Gaza have lost family members, so there is no reunion, and no one is allowed to go back to Gaza.

People will start to recall previous Ramadans and remember how they used to celebrate and compare that with this Ramadan… it is very painful.

Being abroad and far away from family is really hard, and at the same time, it’s not just being away from them, but also observing that they are suffering and exposed to constant threats and danger.

For me and my peers, for all of the Palestinian community here, there is a huge psychological burden on all of us right now, especially the Gazan people. When we gather together we share the suffering – and we share the guilt.

People will start to recall previous Ramadans and remember how they used to celebrate and compare that with this Ramadan… it is very painful.

When we eat, we don’t feel happy because we know our families in Gaza don’t have any food. When we go to the loo, we feel this guilt, because we know our families in Gaza don’t have toilets. We feel we are in luxury here. Even the essentials, the basics of life, feel like a luxury when we compare it to our families in Gaza. So we can’t enjoy life, because we feel this guilt.

The Palestinian community in the UK is doing our best to support organisations providing relief for those in Gaza, things like running fundraising events and collecting donations. Honestly the organisations in the UK here are very active, cooperative and effective in their relief for Gazan people, and doing an amazing job. ■

As the conflict worsens the number of Palestinian men, women and children displaced and those facing grave danger will only increase. People who aren’t secure and safe in their homes need access to safety.

Along with other organisations, here at the Refugee Council we are urging the government to be ready to put in place emergency pathways for those seeking refuge from the conflict.

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