Twenty-two-year-old Palestinian Sawsan al-Sultan moves between displacement camps and destroyed neighborhoods in Gaza City, delivering food and drinking water to families struggling to survive the devastation of Israel's war on the enclave.
Drawing on Turkish language skills she taught herself as a child, Sultan has built connections with Turkish humanitarian organizations to secure aid for displaced Palestinians.
Anadolu Agency (AA) accompanied Sultan in the al-Karama neighborhood, northwest of Gaza City, as she helped distribute hot meals, bread and drinking water to dozens of families in cooperation with the Turkish humanitarian association There Is Goodness in Life, known as Hayatta İyilik Var.
The families receiving assistance live in overcrowded tents surrounded by widespread destruction, with limited access to food, clean water and adequate shelter.
Around 2.15 million Palestinians are living in displacement conditions across Gaza, including approximately 867,000 in deteriorating tents and more than 1 million in shelters.
Israel's war on Gaza, launched in October 2023, has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000 others, while destroying approximately 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure, according to figures cited in the report.
Sultan, a law student studying in English at al-Azhar University in Gaza City, said her interest in Turkish began during childhood.
She dreamed of visiting Türkiye and studying there, prompting her to learn the language independently.
"Since childhood, I have dreamed of learning Turkish and mastering it," she told AA.
"I dreamed of going to Türkiye to study, and I worked hard to learn the language on my own," she added.
Sultan said she learned Turkish by watching television dramas and other productions, memorizing expressions and practicing regularly.
Her family initially did not know she was learning the language.
When the war began, she realized her Turkish skills could help communicate the suffering of Palestinians to audiences and humanitarian organizations outside Gaza.
She said she began using the language around two years ago to raise awareness and mobilize assistance.
Sultan now works as a spokeswoman, translator and media professional with several Turkish organizations, including There Is Goodness in Life.
Her responsibilities include communicating with donors, identifying the needs of displaced families and participating in aid distribution.
"We have managed to reach thousands of poor and displaced families and carried out numerous projects in northern and southern Gaza, although our focus is on residents and displaced people in the north," Sultan said.
Working among displacement camps, Sultan said she regularly witnesses families struggling with inadequate shelter, deteriorating health and education services, and shortages of basic necessities.
She described the humanitarian situation as "worse than anyone could imagine."
With winter approaching, Sultan expressed concern about families sheltering in worn-out tents, particularly in low-lying areas vulnerable to flooding.
"Winter has caught displaced people off guard as they sleep on the ground and shelter under the open sky in worn-out tents that offer no protection from the cold or rain," she said.
According to an Oct. 15 report by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, around 950,000 displaced people live in locations facing moderate to high flood risks.
The report said 294,250 families required shelter assistance before the rainy season.
Sultan said current relief efforts focused on distributing winter blankets, plastic tarpaulins and tents.
"All relief efforts currently underway in Gaza fall short of even the most basic needs," she told AA.
She said the assistance consisted of emergency measures rather than sustainable solutions for reconstruction, rubble removal or temporary housing.
The International Organization for Migration warned on Oct. 9 that around 2 million Palestinians in Gaza still needed shelter assistance.
According to the organization, available supplies covered only 17% of winter shelter needs because of funding shortages and Israeli restrictions on essential supplies.
She expressed hope that international organizations would provide displaced families with safe shelter until sustainable solutions are found to the housing crisis caused by the war.
Despite the humanitarian crisis, Sultan said she remained determined to fulfill her childhood dream of visiting Türkiye.
She expressed gratitude to the Turkish government and people for their humanitarian, political and media support for Palestinians.
"I thank the Turkish state, its government and people, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Gaza, for all their humanitarian and relief efforts, their political, media and charitable support, and their sincere prayers," she said.
Sultan called for continued and increased assistance to help displaced families cope with their difficult living conditions.
