“We have spent three days without any bread.” ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌







Dear friend,

This email is part of our ongoing series to keep you informed about Mercy Corps’ real-time emergency response around the world. Below is an update on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Situation in Gaza

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza grows more dire by the day. More than 2.3 million people are cut off from water, electricity, fuel, and food. Over 1.5 million people are displaced and trying to find shelter.

Water and sanitation services have collapsed. All but one hospital in Gaza City and northern Gaza are non-operational due to lack of power, medical equipment, and oxygen, and bombardments and nearby fighting.

The ongoing violence, along with power and internet outages, has made it challenging to keep in daily contact with Mercy Corps team members in Gaza. Here are a few of the reports they have been able to share:
     
"My wife and I welcomed a daughter into the world one day before the conflict started. We were unable to get her the necessary vaccinations or take her for medical checks. Our home has been bombed and we are struggling each day to find food and water to keep her healthy. What should have been one of the happiest times of our lives is now filled with terror."
 
     
"The way we are living now is like we have regressed five decades or more. We dedicate the majority of our time to securing food or water. We resort to cooking over open flames due to the scarcity of fuel, and we rely on donkey-drawn carts for transportation."
 
     
"We have spent three days without any bread. We don’t have a way to make fire so we are buying wheat and giving it to someone else to make bread for us. Everything is so scarce that prices have become so high. Five pieces of bread cost $30. For water, we are buying small bottles that are $8 a pack. We have started to receive nutrient bars from the aid trucks. The only things available in the supermarket are cookies, sesame oil, and detergents."
 
As this crisis continues, we fear for our team and for the more than two million civilians who are trapped in Gaza with nowhere safe to go.

How we’re responding

Without urgent action to address the horrific violence and catastrophic humanitarian crisis, we fear the worst is yet to come. We are calling for a sustained ceasefire, an end to the siege, and the massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance to prevent continued civilian death and destruction in Gaza.

Mercy Corps Chief Executive Officer, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, released the following statement:

"Only a sustained ceasefire, agreed to by all parties, will meaningfully mitigate the tragic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and allow organizations like Mercy Corps to deliver lifesaving assistance desperately needed by 2.3 million people who continue to be trapped under heavy bombardment, cut off from food, water and medicine."

Ongoing bombardments and fighting have prevented humanitarian organizations from meaningfully providing aid. There is virtually no operating space for humanitarian organizations in Gaza.

Once Mercy Corps has safety guarantees and access needed to ramp up our response, we will focus on the provision of essential items such as clean water, food, hygiene supplies, and shelter materials. We’re working to establish supply lines, including in Egypt.

Mercy Corps is doing all we can to help people in Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, and 40+ countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods in the midst of crisis.

As global humanitarian need soars to a historic high, we ask you to consider making a gift today for people caught in crises in 40+ countries worldwide.
Give now ▸
Thank you again for being part of our global community as our teams and partners respond to this extraordinary moment. We will continue to send you updates as our response progresses.

Sincerely,

The Mercy Corps team