It has been a year since freedom fighters from Gaza fought back against their
tormentor. However, their resistance has been met with more violence that is relentless and unforgiving — and non-human animals, just as much as humans, are experiencing this horrific turn of events.
Most people in the “war zone” have been displaced as the bombings continue to ravage the region. Even though the world sends help in the form of food, water, and medicine, blockades on the enclaves prevent these life-saving necessities from getting in and going to the people who need them the most. Citizens of Gaza have no choice but to rely on each other for help and comfort.
But for non-human animals, especially strays who cannot fend for themselves, they have Sulala Animal Rescue to turn to.
I had the opportunity to talk to Annelies Keuleers, long-time volunteer at Sulala Animal Rescue, to get a glimpse of the life in Gaza amid the genocide.
NO FOOD
While other citizens are busy looking for food and water, the team at Sulala are busy taking care of rescue animals. Despite being displaced themselves and experiencing loss, having animals depend on them for survival gives them the will to go on.
Just like the lives of humans, those of animals have turned for the worst. Where strays usually search garbage bins for food, now there is none. Many animals all over Gaza are hungry. Animal food is no longer available.
The team at Sulala feeds human food to their resident animals at the moment and are working hard to distribute food to strays and to other citizens so that they too can feed more animals in need.
NO SHELTER
Shelter has also been challenging for Gaza’s strays. Areas where they run for cover get smaller and smaller as the days go by and they are forced to share it with crowds of people, many of whom cannot tolerate stray animals, making it a difficult and dangerous situation for them.
Other free-roaming animals have not been spared. Recently, the Sulala team has been seeing and rescuing Hedgehogs around their area who they think are disoriented because of the bombings that most probably have destroyed their homes.
Annelies goes on to say, “The war impacted everything in Gaza, everything is dust, there is constant smoke in the air, everything is rubble, so that includes animals’ habitats.”
Annelies also shares that they don’t support the concept of zoos as they believe that people who own them exploit animals for their benefit. She said that animals in zoos can hear the bombardments, and being trapped without nowhere to run is enormously affecting them psychologically. Coupled with the fact that there is little to no food, starvation is also an issue.
The war impacted everything in Gaza, everything is dust, there is constant smoke in the air, everything is rubble, so that includes animals’ habitats.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Sulala Animal Rescue houses three Donkeys, 30 Dogs, and 60 Cats. There are also about 100 stray animals around the shelter whom they feed.
FINDING JOY
The staff at Sulala are holding up by keeping themselves extra busy caring for and helping the animals. In this way, they don’t feel as helpless.
Annelies says, “That’s better than feeling powerless, than just watching the suffering; they are trying to change something. I personally don’t know where they get the energy but they seem to have lots of extra energy in store because they’re working 24/7 to help animals and also humans.” Annelies shares that the staff will sit with each other by the sea to relax and even sing songs — the staff finds different ways to find joy amidst the conflict.
TAKING CARE OF THE ANIMALS
Annelies says, “We rented a small piece of land where we made a stable for the Donkeys, tents for Cats, the Dogs are out in the open, they have a shade. We are also renting another place to keep the puppies and kittens.
“We feed them human food, and of course we disinfect the shelter, we give them everything they need. We also have set up a pop-up clinic where people can bring their animals. It’s mainly Horses and Donkeys [whom] we are seeing. A lot of them [have] a lot of wounds, a lot of them are very starved.
“We have limited medicine because there is not enough medicine in the Gaza strip, so often, we treat the animals with human medicine or we have a simple disinfectant spray and antibiotics. We use these limited resources to treat the animals — often, it works. We also have our vets, they have a lot of experience.
“We still have anesthetics so we have done a lot of surgeries, a lot of C-sections for Cats, and we always find a way to continue to help the animals even under these difficult circumstances.”
CAN I ADOPT AN ANIMAL FROM SULALA?
Adoption is not possible at the moment in Gaza because of the Israeli blockades.
Annelies thinks that they would be adopted out fast, if only the bureaucracy didn’t make it impossible even before the genocide began.
THE RISK
Because of the constant bombings, Sulala is always at risk.
Annelies says, “Sulala is still in a zone that is a ‘safe zone’, but bombings are very close — maybe 200 meters is the closest the bombs have been… and Sulala members can always be killed because sometimes, Israelis strike the humanitarian zones. The bombs are everywhere.”
The bombs are everywhere.
HELP NEEDED?
Annelies said that all that people can do right now is donate money. Because of the blockades, it is not possible to send material donations or volunteer.
“We wish people could visit and help us, but right now, it is impossible. So really, all we want is for people to share about our work on social media and to tell other people about us like you are doing — you are writing an article about us. So, donations is the only [other] option.”
A MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE
“In the war in Gaza, millions of people are suffering a lot. It’s been a whole year and people are suffering every day, but animals are also suffering every day and we cannot forget about the animals,” Annelies shares.
Donate to Sulala Animal Rescue: paypal.com/paypalme/sulalaanimalrescue
Animals feel pain and they have needs the same way humans have needs. So, we really want the world to understand that innocents are suffering and we need the war to stop.
