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. If you want to make a gift that will support our humanitarian response around the world, click here to donate now.
Situation in Gaza
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
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.
Make a gift today to send urgent support for families living through unimaginable crises in 2024.
Thanks for your support — we’ll provide more updates from Gaza in the weeks ahead.
Sincerely,
The Mercy Corps team
|
