May news from Gaza
Since we have linked our resources with that of the Patriarchate and with the Pontifical Mission I am sharing their news. They are right there on the spot feeding people.
The Patriarchate has a website which I am sharing with you now so you can check it out. They are is www.lpj.org and www.Vaticannews.va will also update you on things.
There are orders from the Israeli military for more residents of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to leave neighborhoods east of the city. The UN says more than 80,000 people have taken flight from Rafah this week alone. They are to evacuate ahead of a major offensive. Sam Rose from the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees says the area has no running water or proper sanitation. He said the latest evacuation is ‘extremely concerning’.
Rafah crammed with more than a million evacuated Palestinians, has been facing a worsening of the dreadful humanitarian crisis due to the lack of basic supplies, including water, food, electricity, and medicines.
The UN agencies highlighted the severe crisis in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance remains as the war goes on.
Pontifical Mission has been addressing these needs. Photos of food preparation and packaging show you how they feed hundreds of people These are in their website. Photos taken by our friend who is a refugee himself also show the sadness in the peoples’ faces as they search through the rubble. You’ve seen on the media the people fleeing part of Rafah many for the third or fourth time.
Pontifical Mission continues to serve food to 150 food packages for 150 families (840 people) in Gaza City in coordination with the Patriarchate. Food packages include basic food supplies including 2 kgs.(4.4 lbs.) of wheat flour, Tahini, 1 liter of cooking oil, 250 grams (8 oz. of Halav (high calories count food), and canned olives that will last one week. 600 families receive two meals a day. Packages of food go to another 150 families. Rafah in the south receives food packages via the collaboration with AISHA for 400 families.
Food is scarce and very expensive. Tomatoes went from 4 nis to 100 is. Onions, from 3 nis to 80 nis. A kilo of meat, from 35 nis to 380 nis, an egg from 2nis to 10 nis…
Other items given are medicines water fuel (to cook with), hygiene kits, and cleaning materials.
The great generosity of many of you is keeping the most fragile people alive in each family. Fr. Gabrielle of Gaza said that they have lost already 25% of the Christian population through death and a few through emigration.
Sr. Susan Sheehan DC
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