AFSC
PHILADELPHIA (December 5, 2024) The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has released a 15-minute film titled Lifelines: Aid workers in Gaza, which provides a window into the lives and work of Palestinian humanitarian workers. The film follows Firas Ramlawi and Serena Awad – two AFSC staff members – as they provide support for Palestinians in Gaza who have been displaced due to relentless attacks from the Israeli military. The film and additional information can be found at http://afsc.org/lifelines
“It has been more than 400 days of devastation, for humanitarian workers, for civilians, for all of us,” said Firas Ramlawi, Office Manager and Security Lead for AFSC’s Gaza program. “We expect death at every moment. We expect obstacles, and it's very challenging, but it will not stop us. Our responsibility to the millions of people in Gaza is the same as our responsibility to our own families.”
The film was made by Amjad Al Fayoumi, a Palestinian filmmaker and production manager from Gaza. He founded and currently leads GREEN MEDIA, a company specializing in digital marketing, content development, and film production, and has collaborated with global media outlets and agencies.
The Israeli military has killed more than 44,500 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, including at least 341 aid workers. More than 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced and nearly all of its people urgently need food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and other essentials. AFSC's emergency relief effort is helping to alleviate suffering in the short term and reduce inequality and oppression in the long term.
“Due to Israeli forced displacement orders, our staff in Gaza had to stop operations many times, running for their lives,” said Hanady Muhiar, Palestine/Israel Country Representative for AFSC. “Everyone in Gaza is under constant bombardment from Israeli air strikes and lack of access to food, water, and lifesaving medical supplies. We are calling on the international community to abide by their international obligations and take all possible action to end the genocide, bring about a permanent ceasefire and guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We must bring an end to these atrocities and allow Palestinians to return to what remains of their homes and reunite with their families.”
Despite being displaced themselves and losing dozens of family members and loved ones, AFSC staff in Gaza have provided life-saving aid to over 1.5 million internally displaced people in areas including Deir El-Balah, Maghazi, Bureij, Nouseirat, Khan Younis, and Rafah, and have also worked with local partners to provide aid in the northern parts of Gaza.
In one scene in the film, Serena Awad – a program officer for AFSC in Gaza – is speaking to the camera when she hears a bomb go off nearby. Moments later she resumes speaking, telling the viewers “people in Gaza need to be seen and heard, and not as just mere statistics, but just as humans, that their life and dignity must be protected. And of course, and most importantly, we need an immediate ceasefire.”
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.