Food insecurity in Gaza “has reached catastrophic levels,” reports Joseph Hazboun, regional director of CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for Palestine and Israel.
In his monthly update on the situation in Gaza in late May, Mr. Hazboun paints a bleak picture that includes overcrowding at Gaza’s two Christian churches and an “increasingly dire” health situation.
Nearly 2 million people, about 90 percent of Gaza’s population, has been “displaced and living in overcrowded, unsafe conditions,” he said.
“With limited access to basic needs such as clean water, food and sanitation, health conditions are rapidly deteriorating,” he said. “Vulnerable groups, including infants, the elderly and pregnant women, are facing heightened risks of disease, malnutrition and preventable deaths.”
Israel’s continued military bombardments since October 2023 have left the health care system in shambles, with a shortage of medicine and health care professionals, he said.
An estimated 96 percent of the population is facing extreme levels of food insecurity, and some families are surviving on less than two meals a day.
“As of mid-May, more than 90 community kitchens have been forced to close due to a lack of fuel and supplies, with the remaining kitchens are unable to provide sufficient meals to meet the nutritional needs of the population,” Mr. Hazboun reports.
Many Christians have fled or tried to flee Gaza since the war began, he said, but leaving has been difficult.
Approximately 400 people are seeking shelter at the compound of Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza. Mr. Hazboun said limited humanitarian aid is only distributed twice a month, and more than 100 people have chosen to return to their damaged homes because of overcrowding.
“Despite these challenges, the church remains committed to supporting the community,” he said. “It provides vital psychosocial support to children through structured programs and has set up a small school and kindergarten to ensure some continuity in education during this crisis.”
St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church is sheltering about 150 people and, as with Holy Family Church, some have returned to their partially damaged homes because of overcrowding.
“Despite these challenges, the church continues to provide critical support to both those sheltering within and to vulnerable families in the surrounding area,” said Mr. Hazboun. “For children, small-scale recreational activities offer a brief respite from the ongoing trauma, although these efforts are constrained by the severe shortage of resources.”
The United Nations reports more than 1 million children in Gaza require immediate psychosocial support. In addition, nearly 85 percent of Gaza’s schools have been damaged or destroyed.
“Thousands of students have been unable to sit for their matriculation exams, further compounding the impact on their future,” Mr. Hazboun said.
Partner organizations in Gaza have requested assistance from CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for food for displaced families and for basic health care and psychosocial programs for adults and children.
Working with the Near East Council of Churches, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission distributes fresh vegetables when available at the two churches as well as to people living on their own. CNEWA-Pontifical Mission has long supported Al-Ahli Arab Hospital and, since January, has partnered with the hospital to provide urgent medical services.
“These services are vital as Gaza faces an alarming rise in injuries, trauma cases, burn victims, and widespread infectious diseases due to unsanitary conditions and unsafe water. The hospital, now operating 24/7, is overburdened, using every available space for patient care,” Mr. Hazboun said.
Spark for Innovation and Creativity, the Society of Women Graduates and AISHA Association are among CNEWA-Pontifical Mission’s partners in Gaza.
On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on southern Israel. Nearly 1,200 people were killed, including more than 700 Israeli civilians, and Hamas took 251 hostages into Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched an attack on Gaza that has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians.
At the end of his general audience at the Vatican on 28 May, Pope Leo XIV pleaded for peace in Gaza.
“From the Gaza Strip there rises to heaven ever more intensely the cry of mothers and fathers who, clutching the lifeless bodies of their children, are continually forced to move in search of some food and safer shelter from the shelling,” the pope said. “To the leaders, I renew my appeal: Cease fire; free all the hostages; fully respect humanitarian law.”
In an interview with Vatican News a day earlier, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, called for an end to the bombardments of Gaza, for necessary aid to be allowed to reach the people, and for Hamas to immediately release all remaining hostages.