Send Help to Gaza
reposted from the Washington Report on Mid East Affairs
Bloody violence has descended once again on the Palestinians living in Gaza. American-made Israeli jets have dropped bombs on Palestinian homes, businesses, a mosque, and even a rehabilitation center for the disabled, threatening the already-tenuous existence of Gazan families. Despite the pleas of the United Nations, UNRWA, UNICEF, the Arab League, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague the Israelis and Hamas have not agreed to a ceasefire. Innocent civilians of Gaza are paying the price for this violence.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
- 175 Palestinians have been killed since July 7.
- 80 percent of those killed were civilians.
- 36 children have died as a result of Israeli attacks.
- $60 million is needed to pay for medical supplies and medical referrals out of Gaza.
- 25,300 children have been traumatized by the bombing and need psychological support.
- 1,140 Palestinians have been injured. Of those, 296 are children and 233 are women.
- 5,600 Palestinians have been displaced due to damage to their homes.
- Another 16,000 Palestinians are taking shelter in UNRWA schools.
- 32 fishing boats, a source of income for impoverished Palestinians, have been damaged, burned, or destroyed by Israeli attacks.
- In one airstrike, Israelis killed 18 Palestinians from a single family, including six children and three women, one of whom was pregnant.
The Palestinian people, who have endured so much, need your help in this time of trial.
What Can You Do?
1. Send a financial contribution to an organization working to help Gazans survive this latest catastrophe. Here are some suggestions (in alphabetical order):
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) 1522 K St. NW, Suite 202 • Washington, DC 20005-1270 • (202) 347-2558 • www.anera.org • Sponsors ongoing programs in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan and provides emergency relief.
Helping Hand for Relief and Development (Helping Hand USA) 12541 McDougall St • Detroit, MI 48212 • 1 (888) 808-HELP • www.HHRD.org • A global humanitarian relief and development organization responding to human sufferings in emergency and disastrous situations anywhere all over the world.
Islamic Relief USA P.O. Box 6098 • Burbank, CA 91510 • 1 (888) 479-4968 • www.irw.org • Works in more than 30 countries to alleviate hunger, illiteracy and diseases, provides rapid relief to victims of man-made and natural disasters.
Jerusalem Fund 2425 Virginia Ave., NW • Washington, DC 20037 • (202) 338-1958 • www.thejerusalemfund.org • Provides grants to hospitals, orphanages, clinics, schools, universities and civil society organization.
Kinder USA P.O. Box 224846 • Dallas, Texas 75222-9785 • (972) 664-1991 • www.kinderusa.org • Supports relief and development programs in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan.
Life for Relief and Development P.O. Box 236 • Southfield, MI 48037 • (248) 424-7493 • www.lifeusa.org • Provides medicines and medical equipment and supports infrastructure development in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.
Médecins Sans Frontiers /Doctors Without Borders 333 7th Ave., 2nd Floor • New York, NY 10001 • (212) 679-6800 • www.doctorswithoutborders.org • Global organization that provides emergency medical relief across the Arab and Muslim world.
Near East Foundation 230 Euclid Ave. • Syracuse, NY 13210 • (315) 428-8670 •www.neareast.org • Supports community development and provides humanitarian and emergency assistance in more than 16 countries.
Oxfam America • 226 Causeway Street, 5th FL. • Boston, MA 02114-2206• (800) 77-OXFAM • www.oxfamamerica.org • An international confederation of 17 organizations working in approximately 94 countries worldwide to find solutions to poverty and what it considers as injustice around the world.
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) • P.O. Box 450554 • Atlanta, GA 31145 • (404) 441-2702 • www.pmrs.ps • U.S.-based support group which receives tax-free donations for this grassroots, community-based Palestinian health organization.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) American Friends of UNRWA Association, Inc. • 1666 K St., NW • Suite 440 • Washington, DC 20006 • (202) 223-3767 • www.friendsunrwa.org • This U.N. agency aids Palestinian refugees through emergency relief such as food and health care, as well as long-term assistance through education and finance programs.
United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) 1330 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Suite 104 • Washington, DC 20037 • (202) 659-5007 • www.helpupa.com • Sponsors health, education and community development programs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
World Vision P.O. Box 9716 • Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 • (888) 511-6598 • www.worldvision.org • Global Christian humanitarian organization providing relief in many countries in the Arab and Muslim world.
The Zakat Foundation of America P.O. Box 639 • Worth, IL 60482 • (708) 499-6151 • Fax (708) 499-6154 • www.thezakat.org • Sponsors programs for emergency relief, orphan sponsorship, education, development and health in 10 countries.
http://www.interpal.org/content.aspx?pageID=8
https://www.justgiving.com/vivien-khalifa
2. Urge U.S. government officials and United Nations representatives to call for a ceasefire. Contact:
- John Kerry, U.S. State Department: Call (202) 647-6575, select option 8.
- Your elected officials: Visit “Vital Activist Resources” on our Web site to contact your member of Congress, or call Congress at (202) 224-3121, or e-mail by visiting www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
- President Barack Obama: (202) 456-1111 or e-mail http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
- Office of Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, e-mail sgcentral@un.org
3. Call or write your local newspaper or radio station and ask it to cover the crisis in Gaza.
- Write the editor a letter. Make it brief and to the point.
- Add comments about Gaza at the end of any article you read in that newspaper about the Middle East.
- Google a photo about the Gaza crisis. Put the picture on Facebook and get people to like it.
- Send out tweets using the hashtags #GazaUnderAttack, #Palestine, #FreePalestine, #PrayForGaza, #Israel, #Unite4Gaza, #Gaza2DK, and #Gaza
- Ask any groups that you work with to take on the cause of getting relief into Gaza.
- Hold a teach-in about Gaza at your local college or library.
- Organize a demonstration.