As the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza reports Palestinian fatalities in Gaza alone now total 10,000 less than a month on from Hamas’ attack, Christian Aid is reiterating its urgent call for an immediate ceasefire.
The death toll in Gaza during the first 11 days of hostilities alone surpassed the 2,251 Palestinian fatalities during the 2014 escalation, which lasted for over 50 days. The UN (OCHA) also reports 24,808 Palestinians have also been injured, as of 5 November.
According to Israeli sources, more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in decades. At least 5,400 people were injured in the 7 October attack, according to the Ministry of Health in Israel.
Amidst the ongoing violence, Christian Aid is supporting local partners in providing mobile medical and psychological care, cash transfers to people displaced in Khan Younis, and supporting the small Christian community and their Muslim neighbours who are sheltering in Saint Porphyrius church in Gaza City.
However, the Ministry of Health in Gaza staed that thedmain electricity generators at Shifa Hospital in Gaza city and the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza have reportedly stopped operating due to the lack of fuel and have appealed to the international community and locals in assisting with providing fuel.
Christian Aid’s Head of Middle East Policy and Advocacy, William Bell, said:
“The people of Gaza are facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in living memory. Over 1.5 million people have been forced from their homes and airstrikes continue to destroy housing, schools, and healthcare facilities.
“Today’s report of 10,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza is a milestone that should never have been reached.
“It must be a clarion call to world leaders, to redouble efforts to secure a ceasefire, to enable unfettered access to humanitarian aid, and halt the cycle of conflict. A ceasefire must be the first step in laying the groundwork for talks on a durable and just peace. It is the moral responsibility of international leaders to press for it.
“As we also mark one month since the horrendous Hamas attack on Israel tomorrow, we must be crystal clear that any ceasefire comes hand in hand with the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages.
“As the situation deteriorates, Christian Aid’s partners in Gaza will continue to do all they can, in increasingly desperate conditions, to help those in need. Every donation and prayer you offer brings hope to people facing a desperate situation. By acting together now, there can still be a peaceful future.”
ENDS.
Notes to editors:
Background:
Christian Aid has been working with local partners in the Middle East since the early 1950s. Since the current crisis began, these organisations have been responding as best they can with emergency first aid; food, from local suppliers and farmers; and other essential supplies, including water and sanitation kits.
In Gaza, Christian Aid has already transferred the funds for:
- Cash transfers to people recently displaced in Khan Younis. The needs are so great that the partner immediately asked if we could do the same project again.
- Medical support, including paying for mobile treatment for chronic illnesses for displaced people and wound dressing for those who require their wounds to be dressed to reduce the chance of infection.
In Gaza, Christian Aid is now preparing to transfer the funds for:
- Distribution of a wide range of Non-Food Items (whatever is available in the market) to support those sheltering in Gaza City (3,500-5,000 people). This is primarily focused on people, including the small Christian community in Gaza, who are sheltering in Saint Porphyrius church, which was hit on Friday 29 October.
- Staff welfare and basic needs. Cash grants to staff, all of whom are displaced. Many have had their homes destroyed completely or partially. Also, a fund for psychosocial support staff. Two ‘pilots’ for addressing basic needs using existing local mechanisms: 1) developing a model for water distribution for hygiene with well owners across Gaza, and 2) working with local farmers who are still risking their lives to tend to their crops on the distribution of vegetables to people across Gaza.
