Mercy Corps Responds to Gaza Crisis
December 29, 2008
Country: West Bank/Gaza
Topic: Emergencies
 |
| |
| |
| |
 | ||
| | ||
| A Palestinian boy walks over a destroyed Hamas security building after Israeli missile strikes against Hamas security compounds in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: Ali Ali/epa/Corbis | ||
| | ||
Mercy Corps plans to ship four tons worth of rice, canned tuna, dates and soy oil into Gaza to alleviate humanitarian needs stemming from recent conflict.
Mercy Corps has already purchased the provisions from a Jerusalem distributor, and is negotiating with Israeli officials to gain access to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Israel. We expect distributions to begin Monday.
Your donation to our Gaza Crisis Fund will help us expand distributions of humanitarian relief items for families besieged by the military action in Gaza.
Mercy Corps is monitoring evolving humanitarian needs in the embattled Gaza Strip as our programs there — which offer psychosocial assistance to children and provide vulnerable residents with short-term jobs such as sewing hospital linens and baking for kindergartens — are on hold as Israel continues its military offensive.
The Red Cross calls the humanitarian situation in Gaza "alarming," with rapidly rising commodities prices and "chaotic" scenes at hospitals. The UN reports long lines at functioning bakeries and power outages up to 16 hours throughout the territory.
Even before the military action, Mercy Corps programs were struggling to operate because of Israel's frequent closure of the Gazan border, which led to fuel rationing and electricity and water shortages.
For example, our program that employs out-of-work Gazans to sew gowns and linens for local hospitals has slowed due to a lack of electricity to run the sewing machines. Staff are also paying two to two-and-a-half times more for fabric that's of a lower quality than was available before the closure.
Mercy Corps currently offers members of the most vulnerable Gazan families short-term jobs in clothesmaking, food production, and education. Our presence in Gaza dates to 2005, when we distributed much-needed medical supplies, food packages, cooking fuel, and kitchenware to families affected by border closures.
Our programs also offer recreational activities to children to help them deal with conflict-related trauma, build self-esteem and interactive skills. We also reach Gazans through our Middle East youth exchange program, Global Youth Connection, which connects hundreds of Palestinian youth in Gaza and the West Bank with their U.S. peers at high schools in the American Northwest.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment