[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

Dear friend,

After four months of conflict, Gazans continue to confront
life-threatening challenges. More than 1.9 million people are grappling
with harsh winter conditions. Thousands are living in makeshift tents that
are inundated with rainwater and infested with rodents, a breeding ground
for the spread of illness and disease.

The entire population is at risk of starvation with extremely limited
available food, exorbitant prices of available goods, and almost complete
dependence on a trickle of aid that is wholly inadequate to meet the needs
of 2.3 million Gazans.

This email is part of our ongoing series to keep you informed about the
latest developments and our response to the crisis in Gaza. [ [link removed] ]If you want
to make a gift that will support our humanitarian response around the
world, click here to donate now.


Situation in Gaza


[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Residents walk through the rubble of the Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza
City after it was destroyed by air raids. Photo by Eyad Baba for Mercy
Corps


Access to humanitarian aid is
scarce, and Mercy Corps is advocating for improved aid distribution in
Gaza. Chief Executive Officer Tjada D’Oyen McKenna recently issued the
following statement:

"Tragically, thousands of commercial and humanitarian aid trucks are lined
up just across the border [from Gaza], often for several weeks at a time.
Only around 130 trucks make it through each day, and hundreds more will be
rejected at the border, never to reach the tens of thousands of Gazans who
are on the brink of starvation a few miles away.

"The current process imposed on aid delivery at the border is painfully
slow and unpredictable. We urge all parties to take urgent action to
accelerate the inspection mechanisms, including adding more inspectors to
process aid convoys faster, opening other crossings, and lifting the
arbitrary restrictions on what are considered essential supplies like
food, water, fuel, and winterization items."

With limited resources and continued attacks, families in Gaza are being
forced to make the unfathomable decision between staying together with
their families and dying together or going out to seek life-sustaining
essentials of food, water, and medicine — and risk being killed.


Reports from the ground


[ [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


Jude (all team member names have been changed for security purposes), a
team member in Rafah, explained the added difficulties posed by winter
conditions facing families in Gaza:


 
"Without electricity or fuel, securing a source of warmth is a
constant struggle. We gather whatever paper and cartons we can find to
create fire for heat... In my family of ten, we only have five
  blankets, and five of us share two mattresses... The most significant  
challenge, however, lies in obtaining warm water, whether for washing
or preparing warm meals."
 
— JUDE
 


Lena, another team member who fled to Rafah when the siege began, says aid
is limited and the prices of what little supplies are available in markets
are exorbitant.


 
"Regarding aid, to be honest, we rarely see it. And if we do, it’s
very scarce. Recently there have been more goods available in the
  market than before... [but] prices for everything have skyrocketed,  
leading people to purchase minimal quantities."
 
— LENA
 


Lena reports that the prices of essential items like flour, clean drinking
water, and fuel have increased to 10, or in some cases, 20 times their
normal amount — that is, if they are even available.


Our work in Palestine


Prior to the siege that began in October, more than 70 percent of Gazans
were in need of assistance to meet their daily basic needs. Unemployment
was over 40% — and over 60% among young people.

Mercy Corps has been delivering humanitarian assistance and connecting
people to economic opportunities in Palestine for more than three decades.
Currently, 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.


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

[ [link removed] ]Make a gift today to send urgent support for families living through
unimaginable crises in 2024.


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


Thanks for your support — we’ll provide more updates from Gaza in the
weeks ahead.

Sincerely,

The Mercy Corps team

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

[ Facebook ]Facebook [ Twitter ]Twitter [ Instagram ]Instagram [ LinkedIn ]LinkedIn [ YouTube ]YouTube

[ [link removed] ]mercycorps.org | [ tel:+18887477440 ](888) 747‑7440 | Portland, OR

Mercy Corps, Dept. W, National Processing Center
P.O. Box 37800, Boone, IA 50037-4800

© 2024 [ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps
[ [link removed] ]Privacy Policy | [ [link removed] ]Manage Preferences | [ [link removed] ]Unsubscribe


You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]