BENGALURU: As thousands of bombs explode all over Gaza, three Missionaries of Charity sisters continue with their duties in their chapel campus, undaunted. It’s been over 40 days since the aerial bombing began on October 7, yet the sisters are holding on, determined not to abandon their 60 disabled wards, some young, others old.
The horrors of war are unspeakable -- continuous bombing, explosions touching 200 decibels, tremors on the ground, and sheer fear. The sisters hug the trembling children, most of whom are either physically or mentally challenged, holding them until they are calmer.
Recounting the horror, a person who did not wish to be named because of security reasons, said that food and water shortages are adding to their misery. “One day, the sisters had only one loaf of bread which they shared and on another day, it was just one orange,” he said. That’s because food is first given to the inmates and those seeking refuge.
“There are about 700 people sheltered inside the campus, which has a church,’’ the person said, recalling the uncertainty of life itself in Gaza. “One woman who had sought shelter inside the campus for many days, wanted to slip out and go home to take a bath. As she stepped out of the campus, she suffered bullet wounds when a sniper hit her, and finally succumbed to her wounds some days ago.’’
“The campus is located near Al-Shifa Hospital, which was bombed by Israel some days ago, claiming that Hamas had stored weapons under the hospital and was operating from under it. The entire hospital and the tunnel system below have been taken over by the Israeli army. Communication from outside is cut off. Once in a while, their landline beeps to life. I got this news from the sisters living in Jerusalem,’’ the source said.
“The convent has three sisters and 60 inmates -- handicapped and mentally challenged children, and old bedridden people with bedsores. They have no food, water, medicine, electricity or LPG. Sometimes, generous and courageous people bring something for them to eat. Whatever they receive from outside is first served to the inmates. For the sisters, it’s sometimes just one meal a day.”