With every passing month, Gaza becomes more “unlivable”. More than 1.6 Million of the Gaza Strip’s 2 million residents now rely on the delivery of humanitarian goods and services just to survive. According to the World Bank “Gaza’s economy is in a free fall” with an unemployment rate reaching more than 32 percent, “the highest rate in two decades”. While the 11 year blockade on Gaza is the primary factor, the recent funding cuts to the UNRWA by the current administration has only deepened the sense of despair among ordinary Palestinians.
After Ramadan, KinderUSA sat with beneficiaries to map out upcoming projects. All spoke clearly and resolutely about the greatest priority: they need food. “We must wait one year to feed our children full meals in Ramadan. To give them something beyond Ramadan is all we ask,” said Um Omar from Khan Younis.
Yes, you read that correctly. Many families in Gaza rely on the Ramadan project to provide their children healthy food. When the funds run dry…when the blessed month of Ramadan passes…these families must scramble to put food on the table.
Working with our partners on the ground, KinderUSA is in the distribution phase of a 4-month project that will provide fresh food to 725 families in Gaza, enlisting farmers and our women cooperatives. Live chickens and fresh eggs will be purchased from our successful, female-run chicken micro-enterprise project with each family receiving 2 distributions over this 4-month period.
Reports from the field are heartbreaking. Ibrahim, one of our beneficiaries, states that, “I am a sick person. I have not been able to work for a long time. I did not receive any help during the holy month of Ramadan except KINDER assistance (Food Distribution). As you see, my house is very bad, I do not have a kitchen, and there is no door to the bathroom. Also, we suffer from the rain water during winter, with the entry of insects and some reptiles into the rooms…my children cannot sleep all nights because of bugs…they often have skin diseases.”
For many Palestinian families, our modest food distributions provide a ray of hope amidst the bleak uncertainty of life in Gaza. “I was afraid of not being able to meet my children’s requirements because of the very difficult economic situation, and my inability to work,” said Ibrahim. “This project (funded by Kinder) helps me to provide the needs of the house as it contains chicken, eggs, vegetables, cheese and others. Thank you to all.”
Over the years, our efforts together have made a difference in the lives of thousands of Palestinian children and their loved ones. Please consider making an online donation today and put smiles on the faces of these wonderful, resilient children.
