Emergency Relief in Palestine

None of us wanted to believe this could happen again. After nearly two months of a fragile ceasefire, mass destruction and loss of life have returned to Gaza. This latest wave of bombings is especially intense, hitting nearly every part of Gaza (read our statement). And it comes after more than two weeks of a complete halt in aid. Already, hospitals are overwhelmed trying to treat the injured with critically low stocks of supplies. The small number of hospitals and clinics that can treat the injured are fighting against an increasingly low supply of medicines and healthcare items, doing their best with what little they have after 18 months of destruction. Doctors are once again working in unimaginable conditions. The needs are urgent. We are anticipating needs based on our life-saving interventions over the last 18 months, including previous halts in aid. We know what primary needs on the ground will be in response to the current blockade and, more importantly, we know how to meet them. Our teams are preparing to send medicines, food, and shelter supplies into Gaza as soon as they’re able.

Before this current blockade, Anera had delivered 63,500,000 meals in Gaza. This included meals made through our community kitchens, food parcels, fresh produce baskets, and flatbreads. Our team has conducted 1,197 free health clinic days, relieving some of the pressure on the destroyed hospitals and healthcare system. We created 33 temporary learning spaces, so the children of Gaza could continue their educations against all odds. Our team provided 483 psychosocial support session that guided children and their parents through various self-expression activities and games to allow for some normalcy and to begin processing the unimaginable amount of trauma caused by this war. Finally, Anera has delivered 1.8 million gallons of water to the displaced families of Gaza. None of this would've been possible without the generous support of donors like you.

While we remain deeply worried about the continously changing situation in Gaza, the West Bank is also under attack. On January 21 – two days after the ceasefire took effect in Gaza — Israeli forces launched an operation in Jenin in the West Bank involving ground troops, helicopter gunfire, and airstrikes. Since then, around 42,000 Palestinians have been displaced, with many families fleeing their homes due to demolitions and infrastructure damage, especially with regard to water and sanitation. The combination of military operations and settler violence has resulted in widespread humanitarian challenges for displaced Palestinians. Many have sought refuge in neighboring towns, but the lack of adequate shelter, food, and medical care has strained local resources. Anera is working diligently to deliver food (via hot meals and produce vouchers) and supporting the fragile healthcare system that has become increasingly challenged by the major displacement of families from northern West Bank. 

With your support, we are providing hope and relief to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. Please visit our Daily Emergency Response Log for Gaza and the West Bank to keep up with Anera's work.

Links:

• http://www.anera.org
• https://www.anera.org/blog/gaza-and-west-bank-response-log/
• https://www.anera.org/blog/gaza-attacks-and-survival/