Distributing food to displaced families in Gaza

With prices soaring in the region, many families lack access to necessities including food, water and shelter. To support families who have been impacted by this crisis, the ESDC have been distributing urgent food packages – reaching 3,000 household to families who are facing hunger thus far.

Staff from PARC reported in January that the situation facing families who have been internally displaced is worse than anyone can imagine. Although shelters are being given out to as many people as possible, there is still a severe shortage and these makeshift tents are not equipped to handle the elements. An anonymous PARC staff member describes that overcrowding in Rafah has become so severe that, “people are starting to sit on top of the rubble and the bombed buildings, putting some pieces of plastic paper to sit on because there is no other place to go.”

He states: “Generally, in winter times, when it is freezing, people usually sit in a closed place. People are continuously exposed to diseases and influenza, so you can’t imagine the situation now. People live in overcrowded places, whether in tents or shelters, since they don’t have winter or blankets to protect themselves from the cold or winter.”

A number of the partners we work with, including the Youth Empowerment Center (YEC), are also working tirelessly to help address the critical water crisis in Gaza. So far YEC has provided clean drinking water to 44,333 individuals.

Alongside this work, local partners like Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF) and Bayader, have been installing solar-powered desalination units at key sites. These sites which provide access to drinking water, toilets and showers which are essential for displaced communities who have not had regular access to clean water for months. To continue supporting during this emergency, PEF are in the process of building toilet blocks to service 10,000 individuals.

Our collective goal is to deliver a minimum of 3 litres per day to a population of 25,600 using advanced desalination technology. Oxfam remains dedicated to immediate and lasting solutions for safe water access in Gaza.

This Ramadan, amplify your impact, embody the spirit of collective generosity, and join Oxfam in working hand-in-hand with communities facing poverty.