Providing Humanitarian Aid in Gaza: A Call for Action
As the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, the regional director of CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for Palestine and Israel sheds light on the challenges faced by Palestinians and the organization’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance.
By Barb Fraze – CNEWA
Joseph Hazboun, the regional director for CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for Palestine and Israel, reports that food insecurity in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. In his recent update, he highlights the overcrowding in Gaza’s two Christian churches and the increasingly dire health situation.
Nearly 2 million people, representing about 90 percent of Gaza’s population, are currently displaced and living in overcrowded and unsafe conditions. Access to basic necessities like clean water, food, and sanitation is limited, leading to rapidly deteriorating health conditions, especially among vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Israel’s ongoing military bombardments have left Gaza’s healthcare system in disarray, with shortages of medicine and healthcare professionals. The population is facing extreme levels of food insecurity, with some families surviving on less than two meals a day.
Despite the challenges, the churches in Gaza are providing vital support to the community. Holy Family Church and St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church are shelters for hundreds of people, offering psychosocial support, education programs, and basic necessities.
The United Nations reports that over 1 million children in Gaza require immediate psychosocial support, and the majority of schools have been damaged or destroyed. Partner organizations, including CNEWA-Pontifical Mission, are working to provide food, healthcare, and psychosocial programs to those in need.
Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pietro Parolin have both made appeals for peace in Gaza, urging an end to the violence and the release of hostages. The international community must come together to support the people of Gaza and work towards a peaceful resolution.
This article was originally published by Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). All rights reserved. Unauthorized republication by third parties is not permitted.
