Blogs
December 18, 2023 • 3 min read
Since the horrific attacks of October 7th, an escalation of violence across Palestine and Israel has had catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza. Over two million people remain under siege with regular food, water, electricity, and medical supplies cut off.
More than 19,000 people have been killed. Over 7,700 of them children. A further 50,000 people have been seriously injured. Thousands more are missing and feared to be buried under a sea of rubble.
As the bombing of Gaza continues, over 1.9 million people, 85% of the entire population of Gaza, have been forced from their homes. Many have been forced to take refuge in overcrowded shelters in the south of Gaza. Others have fled to the beach in desperation.
More than 10,000 bombs and missiles have rained down on Gaza in recent weeks. Destroying 105,000 buildings and 50% of homes. Entire neighbourhoods and communities have been completely decimated.
With schools, homes and hospitals coming under fire, and Israel’s ground operation advancing south, families fleeing the bombardment fear they have nowhere to turn.
Over 280,000 homes in Gaza have been destroyed since October
Outbreak of disease
As Palestinian communities look to the skies in fear, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the threat of disease could ultimately prove more deadly than the ongoing airstrikes. On Tuesday, the organisation reported 160,000 local cases of diarrhoea among children under the age of five. Left untreated, diarrhoea can persist for days and prove fatal. Jaundice, acute hepatitis and respiratory infections are also spreading rapidly.
In recent days, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has identified more than 133,000 cases of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), over 17,000 cases of lice and nits, and 1,900 cases of food poisoning. Worryingly, with sanitation and living conditions deteriorating, authorities now fear an imminent outbreak of cholera in the besieged enclave.
Raising the alarm, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the humanitarian crisis as ‘a crisis of humanity,’ warning that Gaza is ‘becoming a graveyard for children.’
A doctor assesses the damage at the Children and Maternity Hospital within the al-Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza following an air strike
GOAL’s response
Responding to the crisis, GOAL’s local partner Taawon is delivering life-saving humanitarian aid to communities in need across Gaza.
Established 40 years ago, Taawon is Palestine’s largest NGO. Operating in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, Taawon specialises in community development, education, youth empowerment, reconstruction, and emergency humanitarian aid. It’s also an active member of all West Bank and Gaza UN Clusters, where aid agencies openly share their plans for emergency responses and on-going humanitarian aid programmes.
Since October, GOAL’s local partner Taawon has;
- Supported 8,790 Displaced Families with Food Parcels
- Supported over 13,135 Families with 28,160 Fresh Produce Parcels
- Distributed 23,432 Hot Meals to 2,285 Displaced Families
- Distributed 30,000 packs of Bottled Water and 6,400 cubic meters of potable water to more than 20,000 Displaced Families
- Supported more than 450 Farmers, by buying their fresh produce and distributing it directly to displaced families.
- Supported 2,400 Displaced Families with Hygiene Kits
- Supplied 26,800 Liters of Fuel to Hospitals and Ambulances
- Supplied $ 474,000 worth Medical Equipment and Supplies to Hospitals
- Distributed Winter Clothing to 3,500 Children and Women
- Distributed 500 Winter Blankets.
All items are distributed to non-UN shelters to avoid redundancy, Taawon and partners focus on public schools and community centers that have also become shelters.
Taawon teams are delivering vital aid to Palestinian families in need
A lasting solution
As the devastating conflict continues, world leaders are searching for a lasting solution to the crisis. GOAL has joined global calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, a resolution backed by 153 countries at the UN General Assembly on December 12th. The international community must do more to end the bloodshed. Gazan communities cannot afford to wait.
You can support GOAL’s emergency appeal with a donation today. Please give what you can and help Gazan families in urgent need.
