After 8 days of bone-shattering bombardment, calm returns to Gaza

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1 Dear friends, Since the beginning of our activities responding to the effects of the Six- Day War, many crises have plagued our land, requiring effective emergency response for the afflicted families. We at Caritas Jerusalem are always going to stand by the oppressed, the poor and the weak no matter how hard it is. We say this in confidence, for we know that we are not alone; our burdens are shared with our friends and extended Caritas family who support us in every possible way. They have supported us in 2008 when there was crisis in Gaza and they will support us again. We express our sincere gratitude to all those who expressed their concerns and offered their assistance, prayers and love during these hard times. his hand. I knelt to speak to him Did you call me, my dear? Are you here to protect us from the rockets? Are you afraid of the rockets? Claudette Habesch Secretary General Caritas Jerusalem After 8 days of bone-shattering bombardment, calm returns to Gaza After eight days of war between Israel and the military assault on the Gaza Strip in which five Israelis and over 150 Palestinians died, a ceasefire is taking hold and some semblance of normal life is returning. Caritas Jerusalem s medical team went out with their mobile clinic to give a helping hand and also to assess the situation. During the round in Beit Lahia (a town in the northern Gaza Strip) Amin Sabbagh our project coordinator heard a boy calling him Amo medic, uncle medic! and this is his testimony: I got out of the mobile clinic and saw a little boy not older than four years old with sad eyes and a sandwich in The child lifted his foot and showed me the small wound that he had on his toe. Look what the rocket did! I can t wear my shoes, because it hurts! and he started crying bitterly. I couldn t help myself; I grabbed his shoulders and gave him a big hug. How could I explain to this innocent child that he is very lucky compared to other hundreds of children who were badly injured, lost their limbs some of them even lost their lives.

2 Do you go to school? I asked, just to shift his attention. I am too young to go to school; I came out to play today because it is quiet! Are the rockets gone? Yes, dear the rockets are gone. No more rockets! The devastation caused by the two rockets in Gaza Amin visiting the family Then the health team and myself talked with his family and they have told us that two rockets exploded very close to their house and since then the child cannot sleep and when he does he wakes up screaming. It was clear that the child was traumatized and needed psychiatric help. I promised to send one of our psychiatrists to work with the child and we moved on to continue our assessment...

3 A brief Background of Gaza The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated and volatile regions in the world. Home to 1.6 million people, Gaza is just 40Km long and 10Km wide, an enclave bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt. In 2005, after 38 years during which Israeli settlements were a constant source of tension, Israel withdrew its troops and settlers. In 2006, the Palestinians held general elections and Hamas won the majority of the votes. Hannieh became Prime Minister. In June 2007, it took complete control of Gaza. The Israelis swiftly tightened a blockade on Gaza, restricting the transit of goods and people into and out of the territory. Gaza became a big open prison. Economy With Israel's blockade choking off opportunities to trade with the outside world, Gaza is largely dependent on external aid and the 'tunnel' economy. Hundreds of these have been built under the border with Egypt, allowing the movement of goods in and out of the territory. Unemployment is around a 30% climbing to 58% for those aged between 20 and 24 years. Farming has an important but limited role due to lack of access to water and the buffer zones imposed by Israel along the border. Fishing for Gaza's 3,000 fishermen is also restricted. Ten years ago, they could fish out to 12 nautical miles from the coast. That is now limited to three nautical miles. But after the ceasefire, it was extended to 6 nautical miles. Education As it is a majority operate a double shift system to accommodate all its pupils. Classes are large, anywhere between 40 to 50 in each. Food The majority of homes receive some form of food assistance from the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNRWA) 70% of Gazans are refugees. Power Power cuts are an every day occurrence in Gaza. It gets most of its power from Israel together with further contributions from Gaza's only power plant and a small amount from Egypt. However, this is less than its current needs which have been growing at a rate of 10% a year. Many homes have their own generators, but fuel when available, is extremely expensive. Water Gaza has little rain and no major fresh water source to replenish it underground water supplies which are not large enough to keep up with demand. Availability of clean water is below the global WHO standard of 100 liters per person per day. Caritas Jerusalem s medical team was quick to act by organizing a free medical day in Beit Lahia- Gaza. On the 26 th of November 2012 Caritas health team in Gaza organized a free medical day in the offices of the Association Development Department in Beit Lahia Gaza's school system is under pressure. The UN which runs many of the territory's schools says an additional 440 schools are needed by 2020 to cope with the expected growth in the population. More than half the population in Gaza are under the age of 18.

4 The residents expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Caritas Jerusalem and the staff for their hard work and solidarity. Caritas Jerusalem s psycho-social team visits the Rosary Sister s School in Gaza If we hope to live in a peaceful and just world, we must start with the children because they are the seeds of the change we hope to see In the hope of alleviating some of the burdens of the residents, the Caritas medical team carried out 100 general checkups, 60 lab analyses and offered 40 pregnancy screening tests in Beit Lahia. Also primary psychological screening was carried out by Caritas Jerusalem s psychiatrists and social workers. It is no secret that children in war zones are often emotionally damaged and suffer posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This was only one of the activities that Caritas Jerusalem performed in Gaza, in order to show the people that we feel and care with them. The level of violence that they see can alter their normal development and lead to a skewed sense of reality, particularly as many don t really understand what the conflict is about or why it is happening.

5 The Caritas team in Gaza pays a solidarity visit to the Abu Foul Family The four story building in Beit Lahia, home to the Abou Foul family was flattened to the ground A terror stricken young girl told them that the windows of their house was shattered and they had to move to their grandparents house. I don t want to go back to our house. I no longer feel safe there! she said. Many students were suffering from sleep disorders; some couldn t sleep in their rooms anymore, others needed their parents to sleep with them. One of the boys said that he is sleeping under the bed. I received a call on my cell phone at around two after midnight. It said YOUR HOUSE WILL BE BOMBARDED IN EIGHT MINUTES; EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY! I froze in fear, I didn t know what to do, where to start, how to evacuate the 30 members of my family, how to warn my neighbors from the adjacent buildings. Then all of a sudden we heard an explosion a big boom! There was widespread panic all around me. I just yelled get out of the building! The women were screaming, children were crying, people were literally trampling on each other to get as far as possible! As we got about 50 meters away a huge bomb was dropped on the building, then another followed. I m very fortunate that none of my family was killed, some were injured, but two of my neighbor s children, Tamer (9 year old boy) and Jumanna (1 year old) were killed. What rocket did these kids ever fire? These children need a lot of attention and care; unfortunately the parents are too busy with their own problems and dilemmas. We as Caritas have our hands full with thousands of children to talk, to encourage and treat. Dr. Obaid concluded.

6 As we sat amid the earthquake zone witnessing the devastating effects of the attacks on people and buildings, I was speechless. Says Amin Caritas Jerusalem coordinator in Gaza. I finally managed to utter Caritas means love, we will do everything within our power to assist you and your children. Note: the Israeli Defense Force dropped pamphlets or called civilians few minutes before bombing their homes to prevent civilian casualties. Perhaps this is the meaning of surgical strikes On top of medical care, our team in Gaza provides much-needed psychological help to the victims of the surrounding violence. They pay a particular attention to the children who suffer the most from the conflict and the harsh living conditions. In addition to therapeutic help, we also provide leisure activities for children and young people. How can you help? Support our activities Your support is essential to provide long-term assistance to our beneficiaries. Please see below our bank details to make a donation: Bank Name: Arab Bank Swift Code: ARABPS Account number: /0/510 USD Credit Account: Caritas Jerusalem Branch No: 9110 At Arab Bank in Al-Ram P.O.Box: 2445-Al-Ram Jerusalem Gaza Health Center and mobile clinic The Caritas Jerusalem Gaza Health Center is located in the Beach Camp area of Gaza City. This is one of the most populous areas in the Gaza Strip (80,000 inhabitants) and it is situated very close to the Jabalia Refugee Camp. The health center offers primary healthcare and provides an integrated medical programme to the local community. Our doctors see about 250 general patients a month and nearly 300 female patients at the women s health practice. Our gynecologist is one of the very few female practitioners in the Gaza Strip. The center is also the base of a mobile medical team which is providing service to Gaza s most marginalized communities. The mobile unit operates since 2004 and visits Juhor al- Dik, al-sawarha, al-moughraka, al-msbah, al- Birkeh and al-mawasi.