October marks 2 years of Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza. That we’ve reached this grim milestone is testimony to the complicity of world leaders who have failed to stop the daily war crimes being carried out on Gaza.
More than 65,000 people have been killed – including some 20,000 children – and over 165,000 injured since the onslaught began.
Life in Gaza today is clouded by danger and uncertainty. Children are starving to death in a man-made famine and, each day, more civilians are massacred. The Israeli blockade traps families in a daily struggle to get food, medicine, shelter, water – everything they need to survive.
Uprooted repeatedly
Almost everyone in Gaza has been forced from their homes, often multiple times. 90% of families have been displaced an average of 6 times, while others have been forced to flee many more times – including Islamic Relief’s own staff.
The situation is getting even worse, with Israel intensifying its attack on Gaza City and ordering people to leave.
For some, leaving Gaza City is just not an option. Relocating is extremely expensive, and many say they have nowhere else to go. Others fear if they leave, they’ll never be able to return. With famine declared in Gaza City and the surrounding areas, others are too sick or weak to survive another journey. Those that have left are being forced into increasingly overcrowded camps, where diseases and starvation are rife.
Hundreds of thousands of people are squeezed into tents along the beach, in the wreckage of bombed buildings and along the streets.
Perhaps no one is suffering more than Gaza’s children. Struggling to survive, they are also seeing their hopes for the future being snuffed out. Famine threatens the lives of over 132,000 children, and all children under 5 are at risk of severe malnourishment, which can lead to long-term health issues, even for those who manage to get treatment. An entire generation of children are now in their third year out of school, and we are seeing rising mental health issues due to the extreme suffering and grief.
Your impact, their resilience
Israel’s illegal blockade continues to restrict humanitarian aid, but amid so much hardship, Islamic Relief continues to be a lifeline to people in desperate need in Gaza.
Thanks to your support, our staff and partners have been delivering life-saving aid. Most recently, we have delivered clean drinking water to more than 37,500 displaced people in shelters.
In addition, we have expanded our programmes supporting new and expectant mothers and babies. We have carried out almost 400 medical check-ups for pregnant women and supported deliveries, including C-sections.
Over the last 2 years, we have constantly adapted our response in light of the highly fluid situation on the ground, striving to ensure that our staff, partners and the communities we serve are not endangered. Our response has included:
- Distributing fresh fruit and vegetables to families living in temporary shelters
- Providing hot meals and hygiene kits to displaced people
- Distributing ready-to-eat meals, food packs and qurbani meat
- Providing psychosocial care to children experiencing trauma
- Trucking in clean drinking water
- Delivering medical supplies to hospitals and healthcare centres
- Setting up medical points and supporting these with medications and supplies
- Providing lipid-based nutritional supplements in partnership with the World Food Programme
- Cleaning shelters
- Providing multi-purpose cash assistance so families can buy what they need most
- Expanding our Orphan Sponsorship Programme to reach more than 21,000 children
Speaking up for Gaza
These efforts are helping to ease suffering, but the people of Gaza need more than aid.
Palestinians have shown incredible resilience, but there is a limit to what humans can endure. World leaders must finally act to demand a ceasefire and pressure Israel to fully reopen all land crossings so that sufficient supplies can arrive before it’s too late for those struggling for survival.
More paltry words of condemnation will not make any difference now. To save lives, governments must apply meaningful economic and diplomatic pressure, such as ending all arms sales, suspending trade agreements, and banning trade and investment with illegal Israeli settlements.
While we continue to call for action, help Islamic Relief to continue supporting people in desperate need in Gaza. Donate to our Palestine Emergency Appeal today.