Ramallah, June 11, 2025— “My daughter has been diagnosed with a rare condition known as pemphigoid and I fear for her life,” Abdul-Raouf, father of Nour Al-Huda from Hajj Adel Shawwa area in Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza city, told Defense for Children International - Palestine.
A DCIP field researcher collected testimony from the parents of six-year-old Nour Al-Huda, who suffers from a rare chronic illness and severe malnutrition. Nour Al-Huda was born with pemphigoid, a debilitating autoimmune skin disorder that causes constant blistering, ulcers, and immense pain.
Her condition requires continuous medical care and specialized nutrition. Due to the Israeli authorities’ closure policies and use of starvation tactics against civilians, her condition continues to deteriorate.
Nour Al-Huda was scheduled to travel and undergo surgery in Al-Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem on October 16, 2023, aimed at separating her toes in order to regain the ability to walk, but repeated closures of the crossings by Israeli forces have made access to medical care impossible. As a result, Nour Al-Huda is now unable to walk or even sit on her own.
“She was also meant to undergo extensive testing to refine her diagnosis and seek ways to alleviate and lessen the severity of her symptoms,” said Abdul-Raouf. “Unfortunately, the ongoing war has hindered our ability to travel, as the Israeli army restricts the evacuation of most patients from the Gaza Strip, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses."
Nour Al-Huda weighs only eight kilograms (17 pounds), which is severely underweight for her age. Her physical development is so delayed that "her height resembles that of a three-year-old. This weight is not in line with her actual age," Wala’a, mother of Nour Al-Huda, told DCIP.
"My daughter can only consume soft, semi-ground foods, which are unfortunately not available due to the ongoing closure and famine. The food that can be found in Gaza city, if it can be found at all, is unhealthy and entirely inappropriate for her,” said Wala’a.
In search of nutrition support, her family took her to the Patient's Friends Hospital in Gaza City, which offers nutritional assistance such as ground foods and subsidized biscuits. However, the hospital was unable to help, as their malnutrition program is limited to children under the age of five, leaving Nour Al-Huda ineligible for aid despite her critical condition.
Her family is unable to provide her with the nutritious food, cotton clothing, necessary medications, and Vaseline adhesives required to protect her skin due to their challenging financial circumstances. They lost their home in the ongoing war on Gaza and are now displaced in the Al-Jala’a area of Gaza city, facing extreme hardship.
Nour Al-Huda’s family has faced repeated displacement during the war, forced to move from one area to another in search of safety. Her father, Abdul-Raouf recounted, "We experienced displacement eight times throughout this war. Initially, we were forced to leave our home in the Shujaiya neighborhood and move to Nuseirat, followed by Khan Younis, Hamad City, Zawayda, and then back to Khan Younis. Ultimately, we returned from the south to the north and settled in Shujaiya. However, when the Israeli army mandated the evacuation of our neighborhood, we were displaced to the Al-Jala’a Street area in the western part of Gaza city."
Each time the family was displaced, Nour Al-Huda’s fragile condition worsened. The lack of proper shelter and hygiene made it nearly impossible to care for her sensitive skin. "Her body is very sensitive and shouldn't be touched and I had no choice but to carry her. This caused severe ulcers, and by the time we reached a shelter, her body was often covered in blood,” her father explained.
Nour Al-Huda has to avoid touching or scratching her skin, as doing so can trigger severe reactions. However, the harsh weather conditions, extreme heat, and presence of insects often lead her to scratch unintentionally. As a result, painful ulcers form on her skin, which can last for days and release blood and pus.
“The heat inside the tent and the lack of hygiene attract flies, and sometimes I have one of her siblings sit beside her just to keep the insects away."
"My daughter relies on her buttocks to get around since she is unable to walk, which leads to the development of ulcers and abrasions in that area. Treating these is quite challenging, and preventing her from moving like other children is also tough,” said Wala’a.
Nour Al-Huda experiences both external and internal ulcers, an inability to move or walk, and numerous blisters covering her body. Without immediate medical intervention and access to basic necessities, her life remains at serious risk.
“We attempted to obtain a wheelchair for her, but it was beyond our financial means, and we have not received any donations or assistance in acquiring one,” said Wala’a.
Nour Al-Huda’s condition continues to deteriorate across multiple areas of her health. She is experiencing significant hair loss, with no signs of regrowth, putting her at risk of permanent baldness. Her teeth are also eroding, a naturally irreversible process, meaning she will not develop new teeth. Additionally, her toes are entirely fused together with a waxy substance, and her fingers have begun to adhere in a similar manner. The underlying cause of this condition remains unknown.
"She is in urgent need of diapers, but we are unable to supply them, and there is no delivery service bringing them to us. My daughter is suffering as she cannot relieve herself due to her immobility and the ulcers affecting her body," added her mother.
Wala’a provides constant care for her daughter, assisting her with all basic tasks, including eating, drinking, and changing clothes.
“A few days ago, while dressing Nour Al-Huda, I noticed that her navel had completely disappeared. I don’t know what caused this change, but it's deeply worrying me,” said Wala’a. “There is no trace of it at all, and since Nour Al-Huda is unable to express how she feels or communicate any discomfort, it’s even more concerning.”
Nour Al-Huda’s condition demands special care, including the need for cotton clothing to avoid aggravating her ulcers and blisters. “The clothes we possess are predominantly made of polyester or nylon, which exacerbates her condition. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy cotton clothing,” said Abdul-Raouf.
Abdul-Raouf, a street vendor who sells candy, is struggling to make ends meet, with his earnings barely covering his family's daily expenses. His daughter requires significant support, including food and medical care, which he find difficult to afford in amid of ongoing genocide.
“The doctors have informed us that ulcers have started to develop on her internal organs, which poses a serious threat to her life. My daughter requires nutritious food and cotton clothing, along with supplements, treatments, ointments, fans, and a clean, healthy environment.”
Nour Al-Huda's health is deteriorating critically, with her immune system nearly collapsing, leaving her extremely vulnerable to infections. Her mother expressed deep concern, saying, "We have to protect Nour Al-Huda and maintain her health as her condition has worsened significantly. I feel helpless even though I do my best to isolate her and shield her from potential sources of contamination."
Nour Al-Huda’s care requires extreme caution to prevent further skin damage, as her body is prone to developing painful blisters.
“Blisters frequently emerge on her body, and they come in three varieties: some are filled with blood, others with water, and some contain pus. I cannot ignore them as they pose a risk to her health. I need to drain their contents and disinfect the areas," said Wala'a.
"This process causes Nour Al-Huda severe pain, and it also affects my psychological state, as I feel unable to provide the comfort she needs.”
Nour Al-Huda needs more than one full-body dressing every day, using Vaseline plasters that are both hard to find and increasingly expensive. Wala’a explained, “The price for a single dressing can soar to 100 shekels ($28 USD), so if we need two per day, that’s 200 shekels ($57 USD)—while we’re already struggling to afford basic food.”
Wala'a is consulting a dermatologist in hopes of stopping or treating Nour Al-Huda’s ulcers, but available treatments are often limited. She shared, “The treatment options are usually moisturizing ointments or antibiotics, which can cost up to 100 shekels ($28 USD) per dressing. However, I refrain from purchasing or using these unless I can secure a donor.”
Abdul-Raouf reflected on years of exposure to harmful substances during repeated Israeli assaults on Gaza strip, saying, “What I vividly recall is that my wife and children inhaled phosphorus that the Israeli forces repeatedly released on civilians in the Shujaiya neighborhood, especially during the harsh war years of 2008–2009. We were exposed to numerous gases, most of which remain unidentified.”
“During the aggression of [May 3–6] 2019, Israeli forces used various types of gas in our area, and when a nearby house was bombed, we inhaled both the dust and toxic fumes that followed the explosion. I am convinced that the Israeli military is largely responsible for my daughter’s condition,” he added.
Nour Al-Huda has suffered from this disease since she was born in May 2019, with no clear explanation from doctors regarding its cause.
“Over the years, fetal deformities have increasingly appeared as a disturbing pattern linked to the repeated wars and military offensives in Gaza. More recently, there has been a clear rise in cases of malformed embryos as a result of the ongoing conflict,” he told DCIP.
"I am really scared for my daughter's life as I stand helpless," Abdul-Rauof concluded. "We live in dire conditions like many in Gaza, relying on unhealthy takiya food and undrinkable water, all while facing constant fear and insecurity."
Under Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure and maintain “medical and hospital establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory.”
Israel has certain obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to provide for the civilians under its control. Israel ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991, thereby obligating itself to implement a comprehensive range of rights and protections for children. Article 24 of the CRC compels States Parties to “recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.”
