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Since the beginning of 2006, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories has rapidly deteriorated. Ongoing conflict has left thousands dead and tens of thousands injured, including many children. Curfews and travel restrictions have resulted in an 80 percent unemployment rate.

An Industry Collapsed

Gaza’s industry has collapsed as businesses are unable to transport goods in and out of the region. Ongoing travel restrictions limit the freedom of Palestinian residents to leave the area; even those needing urgent medical assistance.

Border closures have resulted in more than 75,000 Palestinians in Gaza losing their jobs. An additional 120,000 Palestinian workers are banned from travelling outside the region for work.

Without jobs, families have no source of income and have been left to struggle in crippling poverty. Currently, over two-thirds of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are living in poverty. At least 1.3 million Palestinians are estimated to be food insecure.

Your urgent help is needed to provide food, healthcare, and shelter to those worst affected by this crisis. Donate now.

Families Left in the Dark

On Sunday, January 20, 2008, Gaza’s only power plant was forced to close due to blocked shipments of fuel into the region. Already plagued by constant power cuts, and severe poverty, the closure of the plant, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of the 1.5 million population’s daily needs, had a dramatic effect on Gaza’s residents. Hospitals, water and sewage facilities were the first to feel the impact.

One CNN reporter described the situation in Gaza saying, “One hospital had lights only in the intensive care unit, and doctors on the wards were using candles and flashlights.”

Just a few days after the plant shut down, a section of the Egyptian border with Gaza was forced open, allowing some Palestinians to cross into Egypt and buy supplies. Although briefly relieving hardships for those who had money to spend, many families were too poor to retrieve supplies. The supplies that were gathered from Egypt are not enough to sustain Palestinian families for the future.

Emergency Aid Efforts

Despite recent border closures and travel restrictions, Islamic Relief remains one of the few aid agencies actively distributing emergency aid to Palestinians.

Islamic Relief launched a nearly $10 million emergency appeal to help implement a two-phased emergency response that will last for the next six months and will provide food, healthcare and shelter in the most-effected areas.

So far, over $1.4 million worth of vital aid has been spent to relieve the immediate suffering of more than 500,000 people in Palestine, including children, hospital patients, farmers, needy families and those affected by conflict.

This aid includes over $130,000 worth of medicines and medical disposables distributed to hospitals and over 20,000 food packages distributed to the poorest families in North Gaza, Gaza city, the Middle areas, Khan Younis, and Rafah.

Your contribution can help the people of Gaza and other areas survive this escalating humanitarian crisis. Please donate generously.