Help Bring Medical Aid to Palestinians under Siege in Gaza
This Campaign has ended on 04-06-2019
Campaign by: MECA
Campaign Summary
This campaign was dedicated to supporting emergency health services in Gaza. MECA purchased medicine and medical supplies from private pharmacies to help hospitals and clinics provide urgent services in Gaza.
Problem
Israel’s military occupation and twelve-year blockade of Gaza affect every aspect of life. Water is polluted and not safe to drink. Electricity is available only a few hours a day. Unemployment and poverty rates have skyrocketed. And the health sector is overwhelmed trying to meet the needs of nearly 2 million people. Hospitals and clinics have perpetual shortages for medicines to treat chronic illnesses, as well as routine and acute health problems. Patients with life-threatening illnesses are often prevented from leaving Gaza to seek treatment.
Solution
Sick and injured people in Gaza need immediate, life-saving help. The Middle East Children’s Alliance has been working in Gaza for 30 years and has sent $25 million of dollars of medicine and medical supplies to local hospitals and clinics in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. Now, due to the tightening siege on Gaza, our staff in Gaza need to purchase medicine and medical supplies from private pharmacies to help hospitals and clinics provide urgent services.
This campaign will reach people who cannot afford treatment. The funds will make it possible for the people most in need to get surgeries, medicine for chronic illnesses, and treatment for kidney disease. Your support will also provide fuel for Al-Awda hospital, which treats 10% of the injured from the Great March of Return and is the main provider for pregnant women in northern Gaza.
About Middle East Children’s Alliance
The Middle East Children’s Alliance is a nonprofit organization working for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. MECA supports dozens of community projects for Palestinian children and refugees from Syria. Since 1988 we have delivered $25 million in food and medical aid to Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon. MECA welcomes the support of all people who care about children and their future.
Number of supporters
raised out of $20000
Countries
BuildPalestine team guided and coached us through our first crowdfunding campaign last spring. The campaign was to provide medical aid to people in Gaza and raised $32,767 from 587 supporters – much more than our original goal of $10,000. We learned so much from BuildPalestine about how to explain the needs on the ground in Gaza succinctly, create compelling video content, and run a crowdfunding campaign from preparation to launch to finish. With the help of BuildPalestine, we received donations from hundreds of new donors around the world allowing us to provide life-saving medicine and medical services to people in Gaza.
What is happening to the deaf community in Gaza right now?
The people in Gaza are being collectively punished– there is no water, food, or electricity. The situation is unbearable for everyone; the bombings haven’t stopped for days, entire families are buried in the rubble, and hospitals are overflowing.
At BuildPalestine we will be running a series of campaigns to raise awareness about the inspiring people of Gaza, and their beautiful contributions to the world.
Today, we will start with Atfaluna (“Our Children”), a nonprofit founded in 1993 to support the deaf community in Gaza. Since then, it has expanded its work to support people with special needs.
The situation in Gaza is unbearable for everyone, but just take a minute to imagine what it would be like to be deaf in Gaza today, or to have a loved one living with a disability, while also living through Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza.
Since the bombings started, we have been in direct communication with the team at Atfaluna, which in addition to trying to keep themselves and their family safe, is providing support to the disabled community to meet the urgent needs. “People with disabilities in Gaza are unable to receive the care they need in shelters, and are denied basic protections,” said Fidaa Shurrab – Projects and Fundraising Manager at Atfaluna
Atfaluna is unwavering in its commitment to the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Even in the midst of armed conflicts, they strive to ensure that individuals with disabilities in Gaza are not denied basic protections. This international treaty emphasizes the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, especially during times of crisis.
Atfaluna shared the story of a 6-year-old Yousef, from al-Shati Refugee Camp, whose parents are both deaf and are suffering from severe fear and anxiety. On October 12, 2022, Israel bombed Al-Shati camp, killing more than 250 people. Al-Shati is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and a place where many fled from other parts of Gaza for safety.
Atfaluna is a social enterprise, which means that they have income-generating activities to support the mission of the organization. The organization trains people with disabilities to create beautiful crafts that are sold around the world. In addition, they have a program that helps individuals with disabilities to find jobs in the digital economy.
In a blog post from 2021, Atfaluna writes, “Unable to understand what is going on around them in a crisis situation, children with hearing disabilities experience great feelings of helplessness, confusion, and untold fear.”
The Atfaluna team is working around the clock to respond to the needs of their community in Gaza and has issued an Urgent Appeal to assist people on the ground with food, hygiene kits, blankets, and other basic items.
Let us all use our voices to speak out against the atrocities happening in Gaza and call on the international community to pressure Israel to use restraint, and allow for electricity, water, and food for the people of Gaza.
To explore other organizations providing emergency support to Gaza, check our blog “Trusted Organizations to Donate to Palestine”