Gaza conflict deepens crisis for chronically ill elderly Palestinians

The current round of the Palestine-Israel conflict has dragged on for two years, severing lifelines for countless elderly Palestinians with chronic illnesses in the Gaza Strip.

Displacement, hunger, and a critical shortage of medical supplies have created unbearable hardship for many elderly Palestinians. Among them is 59-year-old Nahed Eid Ali Darwish, who fled his home in eastern Deir al-Balah over a year ago and now lives in a tent with his family.

Nahed suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, while his wife also has multiple chronic conditions. For this elderly couple, medication is crucial for survival, but the high prices and scarce supply of medicines have plunged them into despair.

"Just a week ago, I went to the pharmacy to find medicine. A box of pills (10 tablets) costs 130 new shekels (about 40 U.S. dollars), and the cost of hypertension medication for both my wife and me is 800 new shekels (about 245 U.S. dollars) a month. We simply cannot afford it," he said.

In addition to the lack of medical supplies, the shadow of hunger looms over them. Nahed's eldest son supports the family by selling water, and the entire family of ten must rely on his meager income. Sometimes, they have to go to food distribution points to receive food. However, the food they receive after waiting in line for a long time is often insufficient to feed everyone, leaving the family to endure hunger.

As the fighting in northern Gaza intensifies, more and more displaced persons are flocking to Deir al-Balah, further worsening local living conditions. The summer heat and winter cold, combined with a lack of drainage and sanitation facilities, not only make it more difficult for the elderly with chronic diseases such as Nahed to manage their conditions but also put their survival and dignity to an unprecedented test.

"Our ancestors experienced a great migration in 1948, and now in 2023, we were once again forced to flee. Look how many years have passed, and we are still enduring the same suffering. Our ancestors, our parents, I, my children, and even my grandchildren are all suffering. It is even worse than before because we have nowhere to go," said Nahed.

China's outstanding aggregate social financing -- the total amount of financing to the real economy -- reached 442.12 trillion yuan (about 63.4 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of 2025, up 8.3 percent year on year, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's aggregate social financing stood at 35.6 trillion yuan (about 5.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up by 3.34 trillion yuan (about 479 billion U.S. dollars) from the year 2024, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank.

According to the data, the M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.5 percent year on year to 340.29 trillion yuan (about 48.8 trillion U.S. dollars) as of the end of December.

In addition, outstanding yuan loans stood at 271.91 trillion yuan (about 39 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of 2025, up 6.4 percent year on year.