November 12th 2023.
Animals are just like humans, one volunteer said – they’re scared of bombs too. In less than a month, Israeli forces have killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza and injured more than 25,000 others, according to Gazan health officials. This has sparked a humanitarian crisis, with scenes of people mourning amongst the rubble and patients lining hospital corridors. In the midst of this chaos, packs of stray dogs can be seen rummaging for food in the destroyed neighbourhoods, and cats have been found with ticks and puppies without mothers.
Sulala Animal Rescue (SAR) is a non-profit organisation which saves, feeds and provides medical attention to these stray animals in the Gaza Strip. Annelies Keuleers, a volunteer for SAR from Belgium, has been in contact with Saeed al-Err, the 50-year-old founder of the organisation, multiple times since the conflict began. However, the intermittent internet blackouts in the enclave can make it difficult for volunteers to communicate.
Annelies explains how the situation in Gaza is very difficult, as nowhere feels safe. She recalls one video Saeed sent her of him feeding cats while in the background, explosions could be heard. Annelies was terrified by this, and Saeed responded by saying that it is 3 times worse for those in the strip, as everyone – human and animal – feels like a bomb could drop on their heads at any time.
The airstrikes have injured animals, and displaced civilians have even brought their pets into hospitals with them for safety. Though SAR volunteers have been providing medical treatment and food, the limited food and fuel supplies in Gaza mean that food and water for both humans and animals is running dangerously low.
Annelies has seen first-hand how the animals are terrified when the bombings start, with dogs recognising the sound of the warplanes before the bomb drops. Moreover, the only window of opportunity for SAR to feed the animals is during the few minutes of silence between bombardments.
About 350 dogs call Saeed’s shelter in Gaza City home, while another in the city houses about 40 cats. The SAR team also provide water for horses and donkeys carrying refugees, and even the 900 donkeys used for waste collection.
Although Annelies helps with media relations for SAR, she struggles to ask Saeed how he is holding up, scared of the toll the animal rescue effort and the warfare are taking on him. She can only wait until he finds the mental capacity to tell her what is happening, just relieved to know he is still alive.
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