We have all been shocked and saddened by the devastating conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. After weeks of intense conflict, over 25,000 people have been killed, thousands more injured, and over 1.9 million people in Gaza are displaced. Food, water and fuel are in increasingly short supply. Families need urgent help.
How is CAFOD responding?
CAFOD has worked for many years in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) with partners who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular and we join Pope Francis’ urgent call for peace and an end to the violence.
CAFOD has committed £100,000 from the Every Second Counts fund to support the response to this emergency in the crucial first few days. Your support will enable our partners to do more and to respond quickly and efficiently.
This has enabled our local partner, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to support 10,000 families with cash vouchers. Families are using these to purchase essentials like food and water as well as mattresses and bedding from wholesale suppliers in Gaza.
We have committed a further £50,000 from CAFOD's wider appeal to our local partner working in Khan Younis, Gaza, who has been helping around 9,000 people by providing places to sleep in their three shelters, hot meals, and carrying out activities to distract children from the disruption and trauma caused by the conflict all around them. The increasingly heavy bombardment in Khan Younis means it’s now too dangerous for them to stay put. Having already left their homes, families are being uprooted once again and moved to new, hastily built shelters.
We have also released £10,000 to our local partner Sadaka Reut, working in southern Israel with local emergency support groups providing psychological support, basic humanitarian assistance and building emotional resilience.
Destruction following airstrikes on the hall adjacent to the St Porphyrios Church in Gaza.
CAFOD is continuously calling for an immediate ceasefire and seeks to protect civilians who have been affected by the conflict. We ask that you continue to keep all those caught up in this crisis in your prayers.
If you'd like to learn more about Every Second Counts and how a major gift can make a difference to communities living under conflict, please get in touch with the Major Gifts and Philanthropy Team at majorgifts@cafod.org.uk.