[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

Dear friend,

As winter brings a new set of ever more dire circumstances for more than 2
million civilians in Gaza, Mercy Corps is supporting our team members who
are living through this crisis, and advocating for a ceasefire, an end to
siege tactics, and access for aid organizations at the scale required to
meet the scale of humanitarian need.

This email is part of our ongoing series to keep you informed about the
latest developments in Gaza and our team members’ firsthand experiences
during this conflict. [ [link removed] ]Please read on and consider making a
tax-deductible year-end donation to help power Mercy Corps’ life-changing
work in the Middle East and more than 40 countries across the globe.


[ [link removed] ]Give now [ [link removed] ]▸


Situation in Gaza


[ [link removed] ][IMG]
A man sits among the rubble of his home in the Al-Remal neighborhood in
Gaza City, after the entire neighborhood was destroyed. Photo by Eyad Baba
for Mercy Corps


Despite ongoing negotiations for a truce, conditions across Gaza are
worsening by the minute. Currently, 2.3 million people — half of whom are
children — are struggling to survive under two months of total siege and
constant bombardment, completely cut off from life-sustaining essentials.

Across Gaza, supplies of food, water, fuel, and other basic necessities
are depleted and most essential services have completely collapsed. 90% of
the population have fled their homes, but with northern Gaza largely
destroyed and southern Gaza under intensifying military operations, there
is no safe place in Gaza left to go. More than 500,000 Gazans could be
living in a famine-like condition by February unless something is done to
address the situation immediately.

Only a sustained ceasefire and an end to the siege coupled with the
massive scale-up of humanitarian assistance can prevent continued civilian
death and destruction in Gaza.


Nasma’s first-hand account


[ [link removed] ][IMG]
In central Gaza, Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south after
the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning to more than 1 million
people ahead of an Israeli ground offensive.


"It feels like our bones are melting inside our chests without being able
to help or shelter them."

Nasma (name changed for safety), a Mercy Corps team member in Gaza, has
written a heart-wrenching account of her experiences. Taking shelter from
air strikes, waiting in line for bread, consoling colleagues who lost
loved ones — Nasma’s harrowing portrait of life in Gaza is a highly
personal illustration of the toll this conflict is taking on civilians
caught in this devastating violence.

Before October 7th, Nasma worked with Gaza Sky Geeks — a Mercy
Corps-supported tech hub and startup accelerator connecting Palestinian
youth with international experts, mentors, and coaches in business and
tech. "Living under blockade," she said, "it was so hard for them to
connect with the world. I wanted to help them have all the resources they
needed to excel and create meaningful livelihoods."

Now, Nasma and more than 2 million others across Gaza can only hope for
peace and a chance to rebuild their lives — and we must all do what we can
to amplify their calls for peace and humanitarian assistance.

[ [link removed] ]Please take a few moments to read Nasma’s full account here ▸


[ [link removed] ]Read Nasma’s story [ [link removed] ]▸


How we’re responding


Inside Gaza, constant bombardments, displacement of our own team members,
lack of access points for aid, and shattered infrastructure have prevented
humanitarian organizations from meaningfully providing aid since the end
of the "humanitarian pause." As truce talks continue, Mercy Corps is
advocating strongly for a ceasefire, end to siege tactics, and
humanitarian access at the scale required to meet the needs of millions of
people. We’re also working hard to establish supply lines for essential,
lifesaving items such as clean water, food, hygiene supplies, and shelter
materials.

In the West Bank, our ongoing youth engagement program is running online
workshops to provide psychosocial and emotional support training for youth
mentors, parents, and staff working at youth safe spaces so that they can
help young people cope with the psychological impact of the conflict.

And in Lebanon, Mercy Corps teams are distributing critical supplies and
food baskets to people displaced by spillover violence, along with
providing hot meals and other supplies at Emergency Displacement Centers.

You can help power our work in Gaza,
Afghanistan, Sudan, and 40+ countries around the world.

[ [link removed] ]Make a tax-deductible, year-end gift today to send urgent support for
families living through unimaginable crises.

Wishing you peace this holiday season.

Sincerely,

[13]Tjada D’Oyen McKenna
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna,
Mercy Corps Chief Executive Officer

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