July 24, 2008

Since the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000, political, economic and social conditions have continued to deteriorate for the 3.8 million Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Action by Churches Together alliance, with CWS support, has responded to the emergency with a number of appeals to alleviate the suffering of the population in both Gaza and the West Bank. In 2007, ACT launched an appeal following the Gaza crisis, when intensive factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip left more than 100 persons killed. Since then, the overall humanitarian conditions for the population in the territories have worsened.

In Gaza, the population continues to suffer from the extended blockade, closure of crossing points and severe limitations on basic supplies being allowed into the territories. These policies, as a reaction to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants on Israel, have been characterized by top UN officials as collective punishment." Israel defends the policies as necessary because of security concerns.

According to both the UN and the World Bank sources, the poverty rate stands at 59 percent for the Palestinian territories and food insecurity affects at least 38 percent of the population. The unemployment rate has increased to more than 32 percent in the territories, with an average of 27 percent and 37 percent between the West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively.

RESPONSE: Church World Service is responding by supporting efforts of fellow ACT members Middle East Council of Churches/Department of Service to Palestine Refugees (MECC/DSPR), International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), the YMCA East Jerusalem and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).

Specifically: The MECC/DSPR is responding by creating 127 emergency jobs for three months, providing essential food or the cash equivalent for 3,120 families in both the West Bank and Gaza and covering health care fees of 520 families attending primary health clinics in the Gaza Strip.

Job creation will be based on 127 new jobs per day (85 in Gaza and 42 in the West Bank) for a period of up to three months each. The number of beneficiaries can be well over the number of jobs actually created. Relief food support or cash will be offered to 3,120 families (2,080 in Gaza Strip and 1,040 in the West Bank, with each family having an average of six persons. In addition, health care and medical support of 520 families that frequent Gazas NECCCRW primary health centers continues. This clinic typically receives, on average, per month 2,700 children, 1,000 pregnant women, 500 adults. It also performs 600 dental services and 250 home visits.

IOCC and the YMCA, working together, plan to jointly provide 44 families with assistance in agricultural training and production facilities. Some 8,500 workdays will be generated to rehabilitate community infrastructure and provide relief materials through networks and partners in both Gaza and the West Bank.

IOCC will work to provide medical and educational supplies and medicine for up to 55,000 people through in-kind contributions. In this effort, all beneficiaries receiving ACT appeal assistance will be residents of the proposed response areas in the Gaza Strip and/or West Bank. All beneficiaries will be selected from the poorest and most vulnerable members of their respective communities, and whose lives have been impacted by sanctions, the separation wall, restriction of movement, isolation and other factors.

NCA plans together with its partner Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza to provide fuel and medicines to the hospital, and medical services to 2,600 out patients, 50 children with burns, treatment for 300 malnourished children, 300 chronically ill women, diagnostic mammography screening for 200 women and food for 200 poor women. In addition, Al Ahli will provide health care training courses for 60 attendants.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net