kelsey

wtf is going on

[Brandon Stanton @humansofny]

“When I entered Gaza the Israeli military had a rule: I was only allowed to bring in three kilos of food. As I was weighing out protein bars, trying to get under the limit, I said to my husband: ‘How sinister is this?’ I’m a humanitarian aid worker. Why would there even be a limit on food? I’ve worked in many places with extreme hunger, but what’s so jarring in this context is how cruel it is, how deliberate. I was in Gaza for two months; there’s no way to describe the horror of what’s happening. And I say this as a pediatric ICU doctor who sees children die as part of my work. Among our own staff we have doctors and nurses who are trying to treat patients while hungry, exhausted. They’re living in tents. Some of them have lost fifteen, twenty members of their families. In the hospital there are kids maimed by airstrikes: missing arms, missing legs, third degree burns. Often there’s not enough pain medication. But the children are not screaming about the pain, they’re screaming: ‘I’m hungry! I’m hungry!” I hate to only focus on the kids, because nobody should be starving. But the kids, it just haunts you in a different way. When my two months were finished, I didn’t want to leave. It’s a feeling I haven’t experienced in nearly twenty years of humanitarian assignments. But I felt ashamed. Ashamed to leave my Palestinian colleagues, who were some of the most beautiful and compassionate people that I’ve ever met. I was ashamed as an American, as a human being, that we’ve been unable to stop something that is so clearly a genocide. I remember when our bus pulled out of the buffer zone. Out the window on one side I could see Rafah, which was nothing but rubble. On the other side was lush, green Israel. When we exited the gate, the first thing I saw was a group of Israeli soldiers, sitting at a table, eating lunch. I’ve never felt so nauseous seeing a table full of food.”

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Aqsa Durrani is a pediatric doctor and board member of Doctors Without Borders USA, with nearly twenty years of experience in humanitarian projects. During our interview Aqsa repeatedly expressed a desire to center the voices of her Palestinian colleagues. To this end I’ve spent the past week collecting stories from the Palestinian staff of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza. I will be sharing these stories over the next several days. I’m so grateful for the time that these people gave me; they were sleepless, hungry, traumatized, and often working 24-hour shifts. Because of the unreliable internet connection their images are sometimes grainy. Their words, however, will be crystal clear.

[mau @rllydu]

it seems like nobody wants a rollie, rollie, rollie with a dab of ranch anymore

[Alyssa 🌻 @alyssaleann]

smashmouth was so right, the years really do start coming and they don’t stop coming

[anna @ikeaduvet]

what i want for lunch doesn’t exist yet

[draculiv @bpddestroyer]

the rest is still unwritten pimp

[pris @pwiscila]

[Lying awake in bed at 11 PM] Tomorrow I’m going to change completely

[kelsey @uhhhkels]

@spence_niems ok so like 15 years ago she told an entire town, crowley corners or something like that and they promised not to tell anyone but i guess they didn’t notice someone was making a documentary the whole time?? it’s called Hannah Montana: The Movie and it explains everything

[kelsey @uhhhkels]

you guys aren’t gonna believe this but Hannah Montana isn’t her real name. it’s Miley Stewart. it’s just her in a wig. never trust the mainstream media.

[ishaan @WAVYlSH]

if u fw moo deng but not adult hippos yyou are no better than leonardo dicaprio

[Abam @AdamBroud]

Airports should have tattoo parlors for those of us with long layovers and poor impulse control

[(っ•̀ㅅ•́ c ) @michibuns]

I know a hot dog hate to see me coming

[carter hambley @carterhambley]

biden could regain this nation’s trust with one perfect backflip

[Harry Hill @veryharryhill]

I’m so serious when I say the president of the United States should be 45 years old and HOT AS FUCK

[Shafeeq @Y2SHAF]

this cannot be the same brain that earned a bachelor’s degree

[Grace @gracecamille_]

If hotdog eating contests were not about volume of hotdogs eaten but rather who loves hotdogs the most i would be gold medalist

[Katie D @KatieDeal99]

One of those leashes parents use for kids but it’s to make sure my friend doesn’t leave me alone at a party

[Syrup Tishus @Syrup_Tishus]

One of my biggest faults is when I ask someone their name, I forget to listen to what their name is.

[kelsey @uhhhkels]

@spence_niems