Lending a Hand on the Ground in Gaza
Elizabeth Sellers / Humanity and Inclusion

PALESTINE (January 16, 2024) — Humanity & Inclusion’s local teams are responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. With your help, civilians with disabilities and new injuries will receive immediate and long-term support.

This week marks 100 days of the escalation of violence between Israeli forces and Hamas. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or injured. A majority of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes by relentless bombing.

Since 1997, HI’s experts have been serving people in Gaza and the West Bank. Today, we have staff and volunteers working alongside thousands of people in 110 shelters. Below are some key updates that I thought might interest you:

• Danila Zizi, HI’s Country Director for Palestine, shares that 441,000 people living in Gaza — 21 percent of the population — have disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are facing specific challenges in accessing safety, food, housing and other necessities.
• HI has already distributed almost all of the equipment and humanitarian aid items that were stored in our three emergency storage facilities in Gaza, assisting 3,500 people.
• After 21 days of waiting at the border, eight trucks containing humanitarian supplies for HI were able to enter the Gaza Strip at the end of December.
• HI has supplied 300 wheelchairs, 50 wheeled toilets and 250 crutches to people with disabilities or injuries.
• Our teams have provided 466 wound dressings and rehabilitation care to families to help them treat light injuries that do not require a doctor.
• Displaced families have received 137 kitchen sets, 88 dignity kits, 1,369 diapers, and 84 baby blankets.
• Children have participated in 74 recreational activities — like drawing, singing and games.
• More than 12,000 people have attended risk education sessions, learning ways to stay safe during active conflict and in areas with explosive weapons contamination.

Another child dies in Gaza.

This work would not be possible without the generosity of our donors, so thank you for delivering this critical aid. If you’d like to make a donation today, you can do so here.
With gratitude,
Elizabeth Johnson Sellers
U.S. Director of Communications & Development

Humanity & Inclusion, 8757 Georgia Ave. Ste. 420, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3747 USA

BACKGROUND
Humanity & Inclusion has been working in Palestine since 1996 with a main mandate to support organizations run by and for people with disabilities.

In 1999, the organization launched an education initiative to raise awareness of the risks of landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Working alongside local partners, HI has led development initiatives including functional rehabilitation, psychosocial support, access to education and adaptation of homes for people with disabilities.

Ongoing projects include improving access to basic services including rehabilitation and psychosocial support for people with disabilities. HI supports the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools. The association also leads a program to better include people with disabilities in the contingency plans in case of crisis.

The association also supports poor households living with a person with disabilities affected by COVID-19 crisis through temporary food assistance and sustainable economic recovery.

ACTION: RSVP here.

Onward to peace with love,
April, Caroline, Emily and Jodie

PS: If you would like a hard copy of the Local Peace Economy Workbook, buy one here!