Feeding and Clothing Children this Ramadan

The population in Gaza is most severely affected by denial of access and services although freedom of movement in the West Bank remains severely constrained and children continue to bear the brunt across the board.  The continued absence of a lasting solution in the region has profound humanitarian consequences for the children.

In Gaza , commercial goods are trickling in with families again being drip fed aid.  In August imports  represented only 27% of December 2005 levels and 23% as of May 2007; fuel shortages continue to be the norm with many families unable to secure cooking fuel, while hospitals still witness power outages two hours or more a day. The price of food in the West Bank increased by 20% while in Gaza families are faced with an average 23% increase, while prices for wheat flour, baby milk, and rice realizing 34%, 30%, and 30.5% respectively.   Our partner organizations are reporting these figures to be conservative at the present due to demand for traditional foods during Ramadan coupled with the diminishing imports.

The picture is very grim for the children in Gaza and the West Bank who are always the first to suffer when draconian measures are imposed upon a population.  Extreme poverty levels in Gaza has placed over 80% of population dependent upon aid just to provide their families with one meal a day.  Kinder USA is doing its part along with tens of other organizations to help in maintain a minimum level of food security for children and their families.

In Gaza during Ramadan where KinderUSA is conducting iftar’s (breaking of fast) throughout the month of Ramadan our implementing partner has been overwhelmed with massive crowds of children and their families seeking a hot meal. In addition to iftar’s,   Kinder USA is distributing vouchers for families to receive enough food to last throughout the month of Ramadan, culminating with the distribution of new clothes for children for Eid. 

In the West Bank , farmers were supported through seeds and chickens enabling them to produce quality products for distribution to families during Ramadan through the voucher system.  This project not only provides fresh quality food for children and their families, but also supports the farmers providing them with the ability to care for their own families while enabling them to be productive again. Each beneficiary family chooses from and receives fresh vegetables, eggs, chickens, fruit, jam and molasses allowing them to have enough food to prepare healthy meals throughout the month of Ramadan.

Finally, female heads of household who have been previously trained in sewing have been provided with materials needed to sew new clothing for children affording them a small stipend to use for the support of their children while distributing Eid clothing  for impoverished children. 

We continue to think it is an outrage that any child should go without food, healthcare or shelter and recognize that all of our work is impossible without your continued support and generosity. 

The Twins in Gaza:  Ronda and Rozan

Jamal Ahmed Al Sersawy is a 38 year old Gazan who used to manage his life by working from time to time driving his brothers’ car as a taxi driver. Although the income was very little averaging no more than $150 a month during a good period, it was the sole support for his wife and 9 children who live in a 3 room flat in Shujaiiyah, Gaza.

In October of 2007 Jamal’s wife, Hind, gave birth to 2 identical twins, Ronda and Rozan, which was 4 months after the total blockade of Gaza. As a consequence of the siege, the price of fuel began to spiral out of the control, leaving Jamal with no income to feed and clothe his family. Hind, as is the case of so many mothers in Gaza, became so stressed due to the lack of food available for the family, she could no longer lactate to feed her newborns. Desperately, Hind sought support from various aid agencies, finally succeeding in receiving a parcel that contained powdered milk.  She at once started giving her newborns the milk which is not appropriate for infants who should not receive cow’s milk until a year after their birth.  As a result, the babies immediately developed gastrointestinal complications, such as continuous diarrhea.  Their health deteriorated rapidly resulting in severe malnutrition.

Jamal and Hinds’ other children started to suffer from the lack of intake of food as well, becoming vulnerable to diseases and gastrointestinal disorders. “A day does not pass where at least 2 of my children are sick at the same time… we do not have the money to buy their needed medications, and the Ministry of Health does not have these medications due to the blockade,” Hind explained

In May 2008, both Ronda and Rozan were admitted to the Nutritional Program of Ard El Insan in Gaza, implemented in partnership with KINDER USA. The twins were given appropriate nutritional supplements while their mother began to receive daily hot cooked meals which enabled her to breastfeed once again.  As part of the same project partnership the entire family was eligible for assistance with food supplies.  Fortunately, within one month, the twins have gained almost 200 grams each, their condition along with that of their siblings and mother are improving.

Back home the situation is still untenable with food supplies extremely limited and Jamal, like many Gazan’s today, remains unemployed with no prospects in the near future.  The family must continue to be fully supported by organizations such as Kinder USA in order to survive.  The children are not getting enough to eat and at times find difficulty in sleeping at night.  “How do I sleep knowing my children are hungry?  What can I do?” Jamal wonders out loud, to which Hind concludes “we are suffering a daily disaster”

Please help us to continue to support this family and hundreds of others by making an online donation today.

KinderUSA Malnourished Children Support Project

The Case of Samar Mohammad Shaheen 

Two year old Samar Mohammad Shaheen, who lives in the Zaitoun Neighborhood of Gaza City, has recently been admitted to the Ard El Insan Malnourished Children Support Project, implemented in partnership with KINDER EU/USA. The project is targeting the most impoverished and hence vulnerable children in the communities of the Gaza Strip.

Samar lives with her siblings, parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, 14 family members in all, sharing the same 4 room concrete structure that is rented by the grandfather. The building is extremely cold in the winter, and suffocating in the summer.  Samar’s father, aged 23, is unemployed and unsuccessful in finding any work locally, and due to his  age he is prevented from applying for a work permit within Israel.