What is the situation on the ground in Gaza?
As of April 19, 2024, 33,970 Palestinians have been killed, 76,770 injured, and 1.8 million displaced in the Gaza Strip.
Our local team on the ground is relatively safe and well, to the best of our knowledge.
In just four months, Gaza has seen more child casualties than the total in four years of world wars. Children remain heavily impacted as milk shortages in the region heighten.
The World Food Programme has delivered its first successful aid convoy to Northern Gaza since February 20, 2024. It delivered enough food for 25,000 people to Gaza City, but daily deliveries and entry points directly into the North are necessary to ensure consistent access to essential supplies for residents.
How much money has Islamic Relief spent in Gaza?
As a global family, Islamic Relief has been able to send $24M CAD into Gaza since the escalations began in October 2023. The money is transferred to our implementing partner Islamic Relief Worldwide in the United Kingdom, which is then transferred to Islamic Relief staff in Gaza through local partners.
Our staff in Gaza are using your donations to locally procure food, hygiene supplies, bedding, and any other essential item we can source. They screen and contract local suppliers and partners, who procure either locally or through private trading routes between Gaza and Egypt. With the level of our procurement, donations are routed through wire transfers to their Palestinian bank accounts.
What is Islamic Relief doing with ongoing donations?
We continue to fund ongoing aid to address the immediate needs of entire communities in Gaza, with some examples listed in the previous section.
In Ramadan, we are distributing hot iftar meals to families in need. These meals consist of nutritious and culturally appropriate food items, ensuring that recipients can break their fast in a dignified manner.
For the additional funds that are coming in and those we are unable to use at the moment, we are assessing opportunities to invest in long-term development programming, including rebuilding efforts. Sustainable development programming is just as vital as providing emergency relief, so your donations will be used to uplift communities.
If supplies are running out, how is Islamic Relief procuring them?
Prices in Gaza have surged dramatically, often experiencing markups of 100-300% above normal rates. Supplies, though limited, are available but at a cost unaffordable to most. But this is where your donation makes the biggest difference! Your donations allow our team on the ground to secure essential items from local markets and suppliers and make them available to the people of Gaza – despite the limited supplies and surge in prices.
Additionally, through our partnership with the WFP, we have access to food supplies coming in and are able to distribute these in an effective manner. Through your donations, we have allocated over $30,000 to implement daily hot meals preparation, and that number continues to grow.
Alhumdulilah, as of March 17th, out of all the WFP partners, Islamic Relief has been providing the highest number of people daily with hot meals and food aid in Gaza.
Most of our current interventions have relied on local procurement, but also procurement through Egypt. Islamic Relief has successfully facilitated aid trucks entering Gaza through the Egypt border crossing, which has helped to alleviate some of the pressure on the ground. We are also actively exploring additional avenues of aid through various border crossings.
We are also sourcing other essential items locally. For example, Islamic Relief recently installed locally sourced and constructed portable toilets in Rafah. The initiative was part of our efforts to address urgent sanitation needs in the area. It's important to note that while certain goods, such as food aid, remain a priority, other essential items, like sanitation facilities, are also prioritized to ensure basic needs are met.
Despite the obstacles, we remain committed to ensuring that critical aid reaches those in need in Gaza.
What long-term projects do we have planned?
In the current context, we primarily focus on addressing the need for immediate and life-saving support. The viability of sustained, long-term efforts hinges on maintaining consistent and secure humanitarian access. This is an unattainable position without an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Although plans are subject to change, we anticipate long-term activities to encompass livelihood initiatives such as cash-for-work and multi-purpose cash programs, as well as commitments to water, sanitation, and hygiene projects. We will likely extend our current psychosocial support programming for children to include entire families, focus on providing tailored therapy and care, and expand on recreational activities.
What areas is Islamic Relief working in?
Islamic Relief is presently active in the Middle Area including Deir Al Balah, Zawayda, and Al Nusairat, as well Khan Younis and Rafah.
Our emergency response efforts are being conducted in collaboration with two local partners: one operating in the Middle Area and the other serving Rafah and Khan Younis. Each partner is assigned Islamic Relief staff to oversee project implementation.
Why can't we distribute aid in North Gaza?
The situation in North Gaza presents significant challenges for humanitarian aid distribution. The safety of our staff remains a priority, and attempts to distribute aid in the North have put that at risk. Overall, the compromised safety of Islamic Relief staff operating in North Gaza makes aid distributions unsafe at this time.
I have family in Gaza, why can't you help them?
We understand the desire to direct aid to specific individuals, however, to maintain equal access, we are unable to fulfill such requests. We consistently work to diversify our distribution points, ensuring that aid reaches as many people as possible.
It is important to note that no person will be denied aid at our distributions; however, our commitment to equity drives us to prioritize equal access for all. Our focus remains on supporting shelters to the best of our ability and providing assistance through our local partners.