Just days after a fragile cease-fire deal was reached, many forcibly displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes. Last week, our team in Gaza entered the city of Rafah, determined to help people make the difficult trek.
After months of bombing, about 90% of residential buildings have been destroyed. Travel is difficult because the roads are so full of debris. To assist, AFSC provided support to a private company in removing the rubble. Now, some streets that were blocked have been reopened. Some paths were also cleared to allow residents to access their neighborhoods and see what remained of their homes.
Over the past 15 months, our team has distributed food and water to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza. We have provided baby formula, diapers, and other essentials for infants and children. We have delivered hygiene and dignity kits with soap, detergent, and sanitary napkins. We have distributed mattresses and blankets and provided children with school supplies, educational support, and recreational activities. More recently, we outfitted children with warm winter clothes.
AFSC’s work is guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light in every person and a deep commitment to human rights and dignity. We are grounded in those values as we now plan for the next phase of our relief work. With support from people like you, we will keep up our efforts to alleviate famine, deliver life-saving aid, and provide essential goods and services.
While there are many steps involved in achieving a permanent cease-fire, we remain cautiously optimistic. But we also know that the humanitarian aid mechanism built into the ceasefire agreement does not mean that the occupation is over. Israel has not yet lifted the blockade that has severely restricted access to essential goods in Gaza for almost two decades. And today, the humanitarian need in Gaza is greater than ever before.
With hope and perseverance, we believe that Gaza will rise again. AFSC remains committed as ever to providing relief as Palestinians begin the difficult road ahead. We remain grateful to everyone who has supported our efforts.
Watch the video above to see the recent work to clear roads in Rafah in southern Gaza.
