Dear John,
I want to begin with my heartfelt gratitude to the many people who have donated to support our humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza and our work for just and lasting peace.
As you know, conditions there remain horrific and worsen each day. With relentless bombings, closed crossings, and destroyed infrastructure, delivering assistance is difficult. But with help from kind people like you, our team in Gaza continues to make a difference in every way they can, working closely with local partners.
“I will never stop saying this,” one staff member wrote to me recently, after delivering precious bundles of fresh vegetables to 250 families. “Every single aid we provide saves lives.”
In addition to needing food and other essentials, people in Gaza urgently need mental health support to cope with the ongoing traumas they are experiencing. In response, AFSC has started a new collaboration with the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) in Al Khwalda and Al Amal camps.
GCMHP staff provide crucial psychological first aid to displaced women who are now living in tents. Following these group sessions, AFSC staff and volunteers distribute hygiene kits. Each kit includes essentials such as soap, detergent, sanitary napkins, toothpaste, and tissues. Few aid groups supply these items, but they make a vital difference, and soaring prices make them unaffordable for most people. Read more on our website.
I will continue to share periodic updates with you. In the meantime, please keep holding our staff in the Light, together with all who have been affected by the ongoing violence. And please keep calling for a permanent cease-fire and humanitarian access for Gaza.
In peace,
