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Greetings,
As we step into a new year, I hoped to have more positive updates to share. Unfortunately, this news calls for urgent action. Current conditions in Gaza leave little hope of survival for Palestinian children and families.
If people do not die from violence, they're at risk of dying from disease or hunger. Young children under age five are at particular risk from infectious diseases and severe malnutrition.
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Project HOPE is making strides in delivering essential medical care, mental health care and supplies.
In Deir al Balah, our clinic has provided direct medical care to 1,200 patients so far, treating up to 100 people a day. But huge challenges stand in the way of saving more lives:
1. Neonatal Clinic Damage: Our efforts to open a neonatal clinic in Rafah were halted when an airstrike damaged the building and destroyed the mosque next door. We're extremely fortunate and thankful that none of our team members were hurt. Project HOPE has temporarily paused activities in Rafah to assess the damage.
2. The Need for a Ceasefire: Without a sustained ceasefire and an efficient process for delivering aid, the misery in Gaza can only continue. More people will die every day from preventable causes.
3. People Have Nowhere to Go: Families have been displaced over and over again as they seek safety. Rafah can no longer safely accommodate the people arriving daily to find safety. Our Medical Coordinator, Santosh Kumar, reported that during a recent visit to a school, colleagues "witnessed over 70 pregnant women and 39 newborns enduring overcrowded conditions with nearly no access to essential resources such as food, clean water, bathrooms, and proper hygiene facilities."
We have additional shipments on the way to Rafah, including medicines and medical supplies sufficient for 10,000 people over three months. However, given the immense needs, these resources are likely to be quickly depleted.
We're committed to doing everything we can to save lives and care for people in Gaza and other crisis-affected communities like Ukraine and Haiti. With your help, we can keep providing urgently needed medicines, supplies, training for health workers and other relief worldwide.
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