As 2018 comes to an end, we are sad to report that living conditions in Gaza continue to get worse, taking an unfathomable toll on the population. Unemployment is over 55%, with youth unemployment at 75%, while most who do get paid receive only half their wages. Many families live on $1 a day, at best.…
With every passing month, Gaza becomes more “unlivable”. More than 1.6 Million of the Gaza Strip’s 2 million residents now rely on the delivery of humanitarian goods and services just to survive. According to the World Bank “Gaza’s economy is in a free fall” with an unemployment rate reaching more than 32 percent, “the highest…
For over thirty years, Dr. Mads Gilbert has worked in conflict zones including volunteering in hospitals under siege in West Beirut, Lebanon during the 80s and Gaza for the last two decades. His perspective as a doctor and activist in such a conflicted time and area makes him the ideal person for our upcoming speaking…
For many parents, the most challenging part of the school day involves waking children from sleep and preparing them to leave the comfort of the home. Education is easily taken for granted. In Palestine, however, recently publicized cuts to UNRWA funding threaten the one bright spot in the lives of thousands of Palestinian children – education. Make…
An urgent appeal was made today by Mr. Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. Fuel supplies are dangerously low affecting every aspect of life in Gaza. “We have now run out of funds and are delivering the final supplies in the next few days. Without funds to enable ongoing deliveries, service…
Speaking after a recent visit to Palestine, UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynx declared that in Gaza, “Residents are deprived of their most basic rights, including the rights to health, to education, and most recently, in attempting to exercise their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, they were deprived of the right to life.”…
Musallam lives with his wife and six children, ranging in age from 9 months to 7 years old, in a structure that consists of 2 small rooms just outside of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The home has a metallic roof, no windows, no electricity, no running water, and therefore poor sanitation. In short, uninhabitable…
Assalamu alaikum and Ramadan Kareem! We are in the midst of a new Ramadan season. Many of us visit family and friends to break fast throughout the month, often feasting on our favorite foods within the safety of our homes. During this blessed month, we must not forget to care for those who are unable…
Living in Gaza is a challenge for anyone, but today it is especially so with the with electricity running at a mere 4 hours a day, limited availability of clean water, and a blockade that persists, entering its 11th year. Our annual Ramadan Farmers project distributes fresh food to the most marginalized areas, mostly where…
Did you know that 47% of households in Gaza don’t know where their next meal will come from? (OCHA, 2016) Since March 30, over 40 Palestinian protesters, including 5 children, have been killed and over a thousand injured, among them hundreds of children who were attacked with live ammunition. Participation in a demonstration does not constitute…
As 2018 comes to an end, we are sad to report that living conditions in Gaza continue to get worse, taking an unfathomable toll on the population. Unemployment is over 55%, with youth unemployment at 75%, while most who do get paid receive only half their wages. Many families live on $1 a day, at best. Over 95% of the water supply is now undrinkable due to the persistent lack of electricity limited to about 4 hours per day. The land, sea, and air blockade is now in its 12th year, sealing Gaza off from the rest of the world.
Children in Gaza are caged in a toxic slum from birth to death, where they are being suffocated out of hope, out of life, out of any sense for progress.
One year from now, Gaza will be “unlivable” as determined by the United Nations. Officials recently reconsidered their prediction about 2020 by saying “We’ve been optimistic about this deadline. Gaza is already, in fact, unlivable.”
Despite the hardships, we at KinderUSA are inspired and motivated by the determination and perseverance of our partners and beneficiaries in Gaza. We continue to promote the empowerment of women heads of household by focusing on self-sustainability. KinderUSA provides them with the education and tools they need to begin chicken farming and then we are their first customer, purchasing the eggs and chickens to use for our emergency food distribution program serving Gaza’s neediest families. With your support, we hope to extend this project into 2019 and beyond.
Your donation will continue to enable women to begin their own business, generating an income to care for their children: $170 will buy 200 chickens to get them started; $45 will buy a water tank to feed the chickens; and $25 will buy enough chicken feed to last a 4-month period. To date, KinderUSA has provided 74 women with the necessary skills and tools needed to operate their own business.
Um Mohammed from South of Gaza told our field representative, “Before the project I was very sad because I am the breadwinner of my family ( 8 members ) and my husband left me 3 years ago. I am alone and my house lacks of everything. Today I have an income, I am very happy, I am productive woman and I depend on myself. The project restores my own confidence and gives my children a future”.
Please consider a year-end donation to ensure that this project continues. We at KinderUSA send you the warmest wishes for a new year of peace, hope, and security.
With every passing month, Gaza becomes more “unlivable”. More than 1.6 Million of the Gaza Strip’s 2 million residents now rely on the delivery of humanitarian goods and services just to survive. According to the World Bank “Gaza’s economy is in a free fall” with an unemployment rate reaching more than 32 percent, “the highest rate in two decades”. While the 11 year blockade on Gaza is the primary factor, the recent funding cuts to the UNRWA by the current administration has only deepened the sense of despair among ordinary Palestinians.
After Ramadan, KinderUSA sat with beneficiaries to map out upcoming projects. All spoke clearly and resolutely about the greatest priority: they need food. “We must wait one year to feed our children full meals in Ramadan. To give them something beyond Ramadan is all we ask,” said Um Omar from Khan Younis.
Yes, you read that correctly. Many families in Gaza rely on the Ramadan project to provide their children healthy food. When the funds run dry…when the blessed month of Ramadan passes…these families must scramble to put food on the table.
Working with our partners on the ground, KinderUSA is in the distribution phase of a 4-month project that will provide fresh food to 725 families in Gaza, enlisting farmers and our women cooperatives. Live chickens and fresh eggs will be purchased from our successful, female-run chicken micro-enterprise project with each family receiving 2 distributions over this 4-month period.
Reports from the field are heartbreaking. Ibrahim, one of our beneficiaries, states that, “I am a sick person. I have not been able to work for a long time. I did not receive any help during the holy month of Ramadan except KINDER assistance (Food Distribution). As you see, my house is very bad, I do not have a kitchen, and there is no door to the bathroom. Also, we suffer from the rain water during winter, with the entry of insects and some reptiles into the rooms…my children cannot sleep all nights because of bugs…they often have skin diseases.”
For many Palestinian families, our modest food distributions provide a ray of hope amidst the bleak uncertainty of life in Gaza. “I was afraid of not being able to meet my children’s requirements because of the very difficult economic situation, and my inability to work,” said Ibrahim. “This project (funded by Kinder) helps me to provide the needs of the house as it contains chicken, eggs, vegetables, cheese and others. Thank you to all.”
Over the years, our efforts together have made a difference in the lives of thousands of Palestinian children and their loved ones. Please consider making an online donation today and put smiles on the faces of these wonderful, resilient children.
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The 1982 bombing and siege of Lebanon. The brutality and oppression coupled with the total lack of mercy. Occupation is a type of oppression and everything I witnessed in Lebanon, in Beirut in 1982 is taking place in Gaza.
I have been working ever since for NGOs as solidarity medicine. I am a voice for the voiceless.
Desmond Tutu said to be silent is to be neutral. I stand with the Palestinian people although I am neutral. I would treat an occupying general the same as a Palestinian woman. I choose to side with the occupied, not the occupier. My choice is an easy one.
How can the average person make a positive impact on the people of Gaza?
The most violent force in society today is ignorance. The most important contribution a person can make is to get the facts and be informed. Travel to Palestine. Truth is the best means of discovery. Being organized, part of a group, through your church, students groups. Be an activist. Don’t give up. Every voice counts. Read reliable resources, talk to Palestinians. Become a true power of change.
Ghandi said, ““When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”
What do you do to stay motivated in the face of such harrowing work?
Travel as often as I can to Palestine. Witnessing their ‘sumud’ and what it means to be a true human being. They carry their own dignity on their shoulders.
What experience or moment has impacted you most about your work in Gaza?
There are numerous stories. Every meeting with a patient, a medical worker, a paramedic, a medical student. Deeply touching moments of honesty and amazing what they are sacrificing in their lives.
What are you hoping that people gain or learn from your upcoming talks with Kinder USA?
I hope they will gain more about the realities on the ground in Gaza. An understanding of the Palestinian reality of the siege and occupation. I hope they will understand the need for active solidarity. We carry the keys for making a change in their lives, their justice. Solidarity.
During these times what words of encouragement do you have for the people of Gaza or anyone else who may feel oppressed?
We stand behind you in difficult times. We respect your activism and put a lot of trust in the US people and know change will come. We put trust towards our march to solidarity. Political activism achieves our goals to see Palestinian people liberated.
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For many parents, the most challenging part of the school day involves waking children from sleep and preparing them to leave the comfort of the home. Education is easily taken for granted.
In Palestine, however, recently publicized cuts to UNRWA funding threaten the one bright spot in the lives of thousands of Palestinian children – education. Make no mistake – Palestinian children in Gaza are under attack.
Palestinian children already encounter numerous obstacles to earning an education. Regular outbreaks of violence and deteriorating living conditions affect every aspect of life. More than 90 percent of schools in Gaza run double or even triple shifts to provide space for children whose home schools were either destroyed in successive wars or await the arrival of construction materials for repair. Educators work tirelessly, at times facing classrooms filled with in excess of 50 students. Meanwhile, Palestinian parents struggle to scrape together the funds necessary to purchase clothing and supplies for their children.
This school year, KinderUSA is providing uniforms, shoes, socks, undergarments, and backpacks to 500 children from needy families in Gaza, where new clothing is often considered a luxury. Your generous contribution helps put a little light in the lives of these innocent children.
FOR AS LITTLE AS $40, YOU CAN HELP THESE CHILDREN CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AND THE JOURNEY TO A BETTER LIFE.
Imagine, for a minute, the life of the average child in Gaza. For more than a decade, thousands of Palestinian families have faced periodic invasions and a brutal, ongoing siege, living in unsafe shelters, drinking unsanitary water, surviving on whatever food is available, and managing on a few hours of electricity per day. The streets are not safe. The skies can bring death. Even rare outings to the beach are hazardous. For so many of these children, school is a refuge from the trauma of life under siege, life under constant threat of war – a chance to learn, to meet friends and play…a chance to be normal children.
Help us remind these children that they are not alone, that they are not forgotten.
An urgent appeal was made today by Mr. Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. Fuel supplies are dangerously low affecting every aspect of life in Gaza.
“We have now run out of funds and are delivering the final supplies in the next few days. Without funds to enable ongoing deliveries, service providers will be forced to suspend, or heavily reduce, operations from early September, with potentially grave consequences”, said Mr. McGoldrick.
The occupying authority has prevented fuel from entering Gaza as part of their “restraint” policy, denying 2 million Palestinians medical services. Operating on 4 hours a day, public and NGO supported hospitals need fuel to run generators for newborn, trauma, and intensive care units.
Further, there is a risk of sewage overflow increasing the danger of waterborne diseases for a population already living with 97% of water unfit for human consumption. Water related diseases are the primary cause of child deaths in Gaza and account for a quarter of all illnesses.
Fuel is used to compensate for the severe lack and chronic outages of electricity in Gaza. An 11 year old child in Gaza does not know what it means to have a full day of electricity.
With funding cuts to UNRWA by the US, emergency food aid, primary healthcare, and education are deteriorating. Gaza’s unemployment is one of the highest in the world so over half the population are dependent upon UNRWA.
The fuel crisis is exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian disaster impacting the lives two million Palestinians, half of whom are children. Entering the 12th year of a blockade, the plight of Gazan’s is dire, and moving towards collapse.
It is the obligation of the occupying power to provide for the humanitarian needs of the protected population according to International Law. Equally illegal is the blockade which must end if there is to be peace in the region. Palestinians will endure…they will not go quietly into the night.
Speaking after a recent visit to Palestine, UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynx declared that in Gaza, “Residents are deprived of their most basic rights, including the rights to health, to education, and most recently, in attempting to exercise their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, they were deprived of the right to life.”
Indeed, it bears repeating that Gaza has been under a constant air, sea, land, and economic blockade for over eleven years and a suffocating campaign that has deprived the civilian population of basic necessities including food, clean water, and electricity that many of us take for granted in the modern age.
HOW CAN YOU HELP ALLEVIATE SUFFERING FROM THIS ONGOING HUMANITARIAN NIGHTMARE?
As a modest response to the pervasive poverty and economic distress experienced by Palestinians living in Gaza, KinderUSA has embarked on a chicken farming micro-enterprise project that empowers female heads of households. The initial stage of the project began in March with 38 households and continued through the end of June.
One of our beneficiaries, 48-year-old Nisreen, supports a family of 5 boys and 3 girls, one of whom is physically challenged and requires special care at home. As the sole provider for her family, Nisreen spoke about how the chicken farming project has changed her life and her children’s lives.
“The project is rare in Gaza. They provided me with everything I needed to start and continue the business. I received 200 chicks until I sold them and did not pay any dollars. I sold 165 of the chickens back to KinderUSA for Ramadan and after, they gave me 200 more. I was able to buy food and clothes for my children. My girls were so excited since it’s been a long time since they received new clothing! Alhumdulilah (thank God), I succeeded and was able to share my earnings and some food as charity with my neighbor.”
Now, KinderUSA hopes to replicate this success with 38 new families for a period of 4-5 months, providing the same education, training, tools, and 200 chicks to female heads of household. For a little more than $400 a month, we are helping provide an income to indigent families in Gaza, providing sustainability and offering the hope of a more secure future.
Over the past decade, the blockade of Gaza has had a devastating impact on the well-being of Palestinian children. With your generous support, KinderUSA will continue to work on behalf of these vulnerable children, providing small pockets of hope in a sea of misery.
Musallam lives with his wife and six children, ranging in age from 9 months to 7 years old, in a structure that consists of 2 small rooms just outside of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The home has a metallic roof, no windows, no electricity, no running water, and therefore poor sanitation. In short, uninhabitable for small children.
Musallam occasionally works as a fisherman which is a dangerous job since boats will be attacked with live ammunition if they venture outside of 6 nautical miles. But being confined to such a restricted area means fewer and fewer fish are caught.
Unfortunately for Musallam and others like him, there is no other work available that will enable him to feed his family and pay for any discretionary items they may need, such as milk and diapers for his 9 month old. “If something should happen to me, I don’t know how my family will live.”
During our field visits in preparation for the Ramadan distribution, Musallam told us that he has not benefited from any organizations other than the Ministry of Social Affairs who provides dry food aid and a small amount of cash once every 3 months.
Through the generosity of our donors, Musallam and his family have received 2 distributions of fresh food including live chickens, fresh vegetables, and dairy, enough food for the entire month. “This food came at the right time. I did not have any money and I could see the change in my wife and children with the food,” said Musallam.
As for Musallem’s wife, Amal, she says “The situation these days is very difficult, my husband was a former worker in Israel and our situation was excellent, not like these days we don’t have any money.” Crying and finding difficulty talking through the tears, she continues, “Thank you to all who made this possible for our children.”
“The people of Gaza deserve justice and the right to live as dignified human beings,” said Dr. Laila Al-Marayati, KinderUSA Board Chair, “Providing them with healthy, nutritious meals during Ramadan, a month of self-restraint and spiritual reflection, will help restore a portion of the dignity that has been stolen from them.”
During the last days of Ramadan, our distribution continues and you still have time to make an online donation. Our goal is to continue distributing fresh food to families in need beyond Ramadan, funding permitted. Thank you to all who have made this project a continued success.
Assalamu alaikum and Ramadan Kareem! We are in the midst of a new Ramadan season. Many of us visit family and friends to break fast throughout the month, often feasting on our favorite foods within the safety of our homes. During this blessed month, we must not forget to care for those who are unable to feed their families. These are dire times for many innocent Palestinian children and their families.
This week, thanks to you, we distributed food to over 800 families in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Given their very difficult living conditions, families were beyond thankful to receive our offerings of support. Each food basket includes the following: 4 live chickens, 2 flats of eggs, fresh picked vegetables, freshly made cheese, jams, maftool, and pressed dates. We purchase the food from 40 women cooperatives and 70 small-scale farmers, many of whom lost their land, but now rent a plot to provide and income and food for their families. Your support of this program gives them the start they need to continue!
We are so thankful to be able to ease a portion of each family’s burden during this tough Ramadan season. Yet none of it would be possible without your continued support. The children in Gaza are asking for food, not toys this Ramadan. A donation of just $130 enables KinderUSA to feed a family of 6-8.
Now more than ever, your donation can make a vast difference in the life of a Palestinian child. Help us make a difference in their lives!
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See below for more photos from our food distributions this past week. 
Living in Gaza is a challenge for anyone, but today it is especially so with the with electricity running at a mere 4 hours a day, limited availability of clean water, and a blockade that persists, entering its 11th year. Our annual Ramadan Farmers project distributes fresh food to the most marginalized areas, mostly where families live in makeshift shelters and rubble from the successive wars. With more than 4,000 people per square kilometer, it remains the most densely populated place in the world.
Every year, the goal of the project is to support and ensure the food security of vulnerable households in the Gaza Strip with this year targeting 13 different areas in 4 separate governorates. Year after year, our project increases as more and more families are hungry and in need of nutritious food. This past year, our partner Beit Lahia, served over 26,000 beneficiaries, employed over 95 farmers and over 70 women cooperatives whose families also benefited adding another 1320 beneficiaries. Each family received fresh food inclusive of live chickens, fresh dairy, vegetables, jam, maftoul, and pressed dates to name a few items, twice a month throughout the month of Ramadan.
At the close of the project, more funds were available and we continued to serve another 825 families in desperate need for two more months, providing fresh food once in each month. Our office staff in Gaza hear and see firsthand heart wrenching stories about our beneficiaries who are living on the brink. Thank you to all who contributed to this most important KinderUSA project and have not forgotten about the children and their families in Gaza. We could not have served this many people without your generosity!
Since March 30, over 40 Palestinian protesters, including 5 children, have been killed and over a thousand injured, among them hundreds of children who were attacked with live ammunition. Participation in a demonstration does not constitute an act of hostility or direct endangerment of life, and certainly is not a justification to use live fire. What is happening is an abhorrent violation of humanitarian law and those responsible should be held responsible. It’s heartbreaking to think that during a time of reflection, peacefulness, and devotion to faith, our children in Palestine could suffer without food through the hot days and long Ramadan nights, while we’re eating our fill.
The protests reflect growing frustration and despair as Gaza becomes unlivable. The situation will further erode as a result of massive cuts to UNRWA imposed by the current US administration. The infrastructure and delivery of services such as sewage treatment are threadbare.
Health services in Gaza are on the brink of collapse while blackouts lasting 18-20 hours have forced the closure of some health facilities. Over one million children are vulnerable to waterborne diseases with 96% of potable water “unfit for human consumption” according to the World Health Organization. More than half of these children are suffering from post-traumatic stress, including fears, anxiety, and nightmares. One of the mothers of our beneficiaries reports that her 8-year-old child, Amer, “screams while sleeping.”
Our upcoming Ramadan Farmers’ project will provide badly needed work and nourishment for over 2500 families. Many of our farmers who live near the border “fence” have risked their lives in preparation for the distribution next week, with some being injured by live ammunition.
Not only do our farmers and women’s’ cooperatives prepare for the families who will benefit from the distribution, they are also thinking about their own children who are equally suffering.
Children are every society’s most precious natural resource. Palestinian families are no different. The cruelty in Gaza is hard to witness from a distance. What must it be like on the ground?
Please help us reach as many families this Ramadan as possible. Our work is only possible with your support. May you experience the blessings of Ramadan that come with giving generously to those in need.
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