Kochi: A young woman from Kerala has drawn heartfelt gratitude from Palestinians in Gaza after arranging a water truck for displaced families struggling to survive amid war. Visuals showing children and women in Gaza holding placards that read, “Thank you Reshmi and her friends from Kerala India,” have gone viral on social media, highlighting the impact of her effort.
Sreereshmi Udayakumar, founder of the ‘Koottu’ collective, coordinated the delivery of 3,000 litres of drinking water to nearly 250 families in southern Gaza. These families, already displaced by the ongoing conflict, had been relying on polluted streams, which left children suffering from jaundice, diarrhoea, and skin infections.
Speaking from Kochi, Sreereshmi said the families require about 6,000 litres of clean water daily. She raised funds with the help of her friends in India and abroad and managed to arrange a private truck to deliver the supply. “Getting someone to take the water there was the biggest challenge. We contacted the families, found a truck owner willing to help, and bore the costs ourselves,” she explained.
She emphasised that the crisis in Gaza is humanitarian, not political. “The families have no food or water. Everything is scarce and overpriced. Anyone in such a situation deserves help,” she said.
For nearly nine months, Sreereshmi has been in contact with several Palestinian families. She said they remain uncertain about their future and have nowhere left to move. Married to Yasir and describing herself as someone without a passport, she believes extending support to suffering communities is a basic duty of humanity.
