The negative repercussions of COVID-19 on the families and the economy in the Holy Land are multi-fold — especially in Bethlehem, which has been under quarantine and lockdown since 5 March. Workers lost their income; children are at home with their parents; merchants had merchandise but no market; perishable goods with an expiration date could not be sold; and tourism simply stopped. Over the last few weeks, the general morale has been low, especially as Easter was approaching and churches have been closed.
In order to remedy some of these problems, and provide some relief to families in lockdown, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission, together with the Children Without Borders program and the Casa Nova, distributed 500 packages to 500 families. The packages included food items, along with Easter chocolates, eggs and dye to color the eggs.
As a Catholic organization, we believe it was important to provide food items to the families. But it was equally important to help lift the morale of parents and children, spreading the spirit of Easter among the Christian families in Bethlehem during this most blessed time.