Living in a war-stricken region, where the ominous wail of sirens has become an unsettling backdrop to daily life, is a harrowing experience marked by an overwhelming sense of fear and uncertainty. The constant anticipation of air raids and the urgent need to seek refuge in 'safety rooms' hang like a heavy cloud over every moment. For hundreds and thousands of Indian nurses living in the war-stricken regions of Gaza and Israel, it is a life characterized by the inescapable dread of not knowing when the next alarm will pierce the air, compelling them to rush to the safety of shelters. The feeling of vulnerability is unrelenting, as each siren serves as a chilling reminder that danger lurks just beyond the walls of one's home.
“Not less than 18000 nurses from India work in Israel, We have no clear account of nurses on the other side- in the West Bank. Over the last few days, we get sirens every now and then and are forced to rush into safety rooms,” says 35 year old Jithin Ashok, working as caretaker at a home for the elderly in Tel Aviv. On the previous night (October 11), Jithin hardly slept. The warning sirens howled every ten minutes and he had to go to the ‘safety room’ and spent the whole night there.
Sheeja Anand, a 41-year-old Malayali nurse residing in Ashkelon, Israel, was reportedly wounded in the missile attack that occurred on Saturday, October 7. During the incident, she was on a video call with her husband, Anand, who resides with their children in Pune, India. Their conversation was abruptly cut short due to the missile attack, leaving Anand unable to reconnect despite his numerous attempts. Several hours later, he received information from Sheeja's colleagues that she had sustained injuries and had been taken to a hospital.
A considerable number of Malayali nurses have willingly migrated to Israel, despite being well-informed about the nation's political situation. Jithin explains, "Missile attacks, warning sirens, the need to take refuge in bunkers and enduring sleepless nights are nothing new to us. Nevertheless, nurses continue to choose Israel, enticed by the lucrative wages offered." Jithin says that the present scenario is yet to worsen like it happened a couple of years ago. “Two years back, there was a missile attack. We had to go in bunkers quite often,” recalls Jithin.
Those with extensive experience in conflict-prone regions exhibit a marked resilience to the disconcerting warning sirens and missile strikes. Jithin observes, "The safety rooms are quite well-equipped and offer ample protection. Initially, during the early stages of my career, I was scared, hailing from a nation that had never witnessed war. However, with the passage of time, one becomes acclimated to the situation."
However, women do not find these safety rooms safe enough. Joji, a young Malayali nurse living in Ashkelon told Outlook that women could not stay inside the safety rooms for long. “The doors of these rooms cannot be locked from inside. Hence we, especially the women, cannot stay back there for long. We were warned that the Hamas men entered the city and we were advised to go back to our apartments and stay locked inside,” says Joji. She is more scared of men than missiles.
None of these nurses express an inclination to return to their homeland considering the heavy financial burden waiting for them at home. "I am scared, but as of now, I have no intention of departing,"says Joji.
Younger nurses often choose to emigrate to countries like Israel, sometimes securing substantial loans by pledging their homes or land as collateral. A significant proportion of Indian nurses working in Israel hail from the state of Kerala. Frequently, well-qualified nurses find themselves unable to secure positions in hospitals that align with their qualifications; leading many of them to seek employment in elderly care homes. Even though Jithin holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master's degree in Clinical Research, he is employed as a Care Assistant in a care home.
According to the nurses working in Israel, the shower of fake news is equally dangerous as that of missiles. “Recently, news was spread out that a large group of Indians were taken hostage by Hamas. This created a lot of panic. In fact it was false information,” says Joji. However, Joji expresses her deep concern over the veracity of the situation, as she personally knows a few of the Nepali citizens who were reportedly held captive by Hamas.
In contrast, the situation confronting Indian nurses living in the Gaza region is more severe. Jithin says that their ability to communicate with fellow nurses working in Gaza has been significantly hindered, amplifying their existing distress. Furthermore, Indian nurses in Gaza exhibit reluctance in engaging with the media. Given the complex and volatile political landscape, they understandably harbour apprehensions about making public statements. Consequently, their predicament emerges as considerably more daunting than that encountered by their counterparts on the opposite side of this conflict.
The daily existence of the residents in these conflict-ridden areas is overshadowed by the relentless specter of war, casting a pall of hardship upon their lives. An acute shortage of groceries in local shops has become a stark reality, a consequence, as Jithin aptly observes, of heightened panic-driven shopping, which, in turn, exacerbates the scarcity of essential goods. “Yesterday (October 10) I went to a shop and found that many essential goods like milks and eggs were not available,” says Jithin. This is not an isolated phenomenon but rather a shared experience across cities such as Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Sderot according to the nurses working in Israel.
Amidst war, the resolute Indian nurses dispersed throughout Israel and the Gaza Strip remain connected through nursing organizations, their primary aim being to ensure the safety of their fellow healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, the reliability of these crucial communications is often compromised, adding a layer of complexity and uncertainty to their already challenging circumstances.
