NEW YORK — Since a cease-fire in Gaza took hold in Gaza last October, CNEWA has rushed nearly $1.2 million in aid to support church-sponsored relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank, announced CNEWA’s president, Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari.
Engineered through CNEWA’s Pontifical Mission team based in Jerusalem, $457,635 in funds were allocated for vulnerable families in Gaza — particularly female-headed households with young children, the elderly and people with special needs — to address escalating food insecurity, hygienic support and warm clothing to “alleviate immediate physical suffering while upholding the dignity of the affected families,” notes the team’s final report dated 29 April.
Coordinated through the Near East Council of Churches, CNEWA-PMP’s longstanding partner in Gaza, funds secured food parcels and packaged meals, hygiene kits and warm clothing for vulnerable families sheltering in northern Gaza and Gaza City.
While the cease-fire in Gaza is tenuous, the quality of life in the West Bank for many Palestinian families has been adversely impacted by the evaporation of pilgrims and tourists by the state of constant war waged by the state of Israel. This has tanked the local Palestinian economy, which depends on tourism, and an increase of violence directed at Palestinian communities by extremist settlers, often with the protection and support of the IDF, has eroded the stability of Palestinian society further.
About half the funds disbursed by CNEWA, $507,550, were directed to job creation and community infrastructure and resilience projects in the West Bank. CNEWA’s Jerusalem-based team focused on communities in the densely populated and financially devastated Bethlehem region and the town of Taybeh, which despite being the only Christian town remaining in the occupied territories of the West Bank, has sustained multiple attacks by extremist settlers, including the attempted torching of its ancient church of St. George.
Coordinated with the local church and church-related organizations — which together provide an estimated 40 percent of all social services for Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank — these job creation efforts shored up community infrastructure and services while giving unemployed heads of household dignity, work and an income to support their families.
The balance of funds, nearly $200,000 was directed to medical supplies, medicines and services to Al-Ahli Anglican Hospital — particularly for those who suffered severe burns during the war as well as emergency surgeries for children and young adults — and for laboratory equipment at the Near East Council of Churches’ mother and child clinic in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City.
“CNEWA is grateful to its many benefactors,” said CNEWA’s Msgr. Vaccari, “who have so generously responded to the cries of the poor throughout the Holy Land.” Funds released by CNEWA since last October were in part collected by parishes and dioceses throughout the United States responding to the appeal of the then president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Military Archdiocese; the Knights of Columbus; the International Orthodox Christian Charities and individuals throughout North America and beyond.
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