In Part 3 of Noor’s 4-part series, we follow her through the most difficult turning point of her life: leaving Gaza.

After losing her husband Khaled in the bombings of northern Gaza, Noor became the sole head of her household. With her son at her side, she faced impossible choices — surviving without clean water or electricity, navigating family negotiations about evacuation, and gathering the funds needed to leave through Rafah.

Her words say it all: “It was really enough for us.” A phrase that carries the exhaustion of war, the grief of loss, and the resilience of a mother who has to keep moving forward.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Noor’s grief after Khaled’s death in northern Gaza

* The daily struggles of survival inside Gaza: food, water, electricity, and dignity

* How her community abroad helped raise the funds to evacuate

* The emotional weight of deciding who leaves, and who stays behind

* Noor’s final journey through Rafah with her son, and their first moments in Cairo

Why This Story Matters

Noor’s voice brings us into the lived reality behind the headlines. Her story reflects the experience of countless Palestinian women who, after displacement, find themselves as the sole providers and protectors of their families. Female heads of households are rarely centered in policy or media, yet they carry futures on their backs. Noor’s testimony preserves that truth.

Noor’s journey doesn’t end here. You can stand with her family as they face the daily reality of survival in Gaza and beyond.Help Noor’s family survive starvation in Gaza here.

The Archive Speaks feature lived memories and stories of resilience and survival from places of conflict like Gaza, told by refugee women and female head of households, and preserved by The Refugee Archive.

Get full access to The Refugee Archive: Global Center for Displaced FHH at therefugeearchive.substack.com/subscribe