American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), TAKREEM Foundation laureate for International Contribution to Arab Society category of 2018, continues to deliver relief to civilians in Palestine. Anera is a humanitarian organization and, as such, we concern ourselves with delivering relief to civilians — regular people who are suffering and caught up in a conflict beyond their control or blame. And our remarkable Gaza team has been doing just that every day since the war began. Despite the closure, and because of our Gaza staff’s deep roots in their communities, the team has been able to regularly deliver humanitarian aid to their neighbors. They called on existing relationships with trusted vendors throughout Gaza to locally purchase food, hygiene items, medical supplies and gas (see pages 4-5). They mobilized their networks within the UN and healthcare facilities to transport and deliver aid to people most in need. They make miracles happen every day. Anera implements development programs first and foremost, and delivers relief when it is needed. And, it is in part because of the development work that our Gaza team has done in their neighborhoods for many years that families have been able to get some relief during a time of unimaginable need. Schools that Anera built in southern Gaza have been used to shelter displaced families. Our solar-powered agricultural pumps and reverse osmosis systems have provided daily water in Rafah. And fresh produce from farms that Anera rehabilitated have provided healthy meals to displaced people. It is hard to fathom what Gaza will look like in the aftermath of this war. The damage and needs will be immense. Our team on the ground there, who will no doubt be traumatized and exhausted, will assess the situation and coordinate with other organizations to work on a recovery plan. It will be a very long road to physical, emotional and societal recovery in Gaza. Though daunting, it’s incumbent upon everyone who cares about Palestine and the people of Gaza to help rebuild a future with hope.

For the full article: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/war-gaza