Updated 1 Septemberr 2010

The current crisis in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza, which started in September 2000, has had devastating and very painful effects on the Palestine refugee population and the Palestinian community at large. Furthermore, economic conditions remain catastrophic as the unemployment rate has increased disturbingly and hence poverty is more widespread. As a result, the nutritional status of Gaza Strip inhabitants has deteriorated. Protein-calorie malnutrition was eliminated in the early 1990s, though it appears to have resurfaced during the last three years in the occupied Palestinian territories.

There are now 20,900 families comprising 100,785 persons (as at 31 May 2010), representing the poorest of the poor amongst the refugee population of the Gaza Strip, receiving assistance through UNRWA's Social Safety Net programme (SSN), in the form of food ration and cash subsidy, but still in vital need for fresh food, and other food items not covered by UNRWA’s assistance, especially in the month of Ramadhan.

RAMADHAN RELIEF IN GAZA
This year, for the first time, The World Federation has partnered with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East) to extend its Ramadhan Relief Programme into GAZA. When you donate to the RAMADHAN RELIEF FUND, your contribution will support our shared efforts to alleviate poverty among the poorest refugee families by providing them with food parcels for Ramadhan.

Food parcels (2 Kg Halawa, 1kg Tahina, 1kg yellow cheese, 1 Kg dates, 1kg Jam, 2boxs of 500g Vita cheese and 500g Ferment) are being distributed to about 807 needy SSN families during the holy month of Ramadhan.  Each food parcel costs about $27 each. Furthermore, the project will help, to a certain degree, improve the extremely deteriorating economic conditions in the Gaza Strip by activating the market at a time when it is in deep depression.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PLAN
With the help and support of UNRWA’s Relief offices in the Gaza Strip, 807 food parcels have been assembled and are being distributed to 807 of the region’s poorest refugee families (comprising 9,178 beneficiaries) for the month of Ramadhan. Food items were purchased locally through competitive tenders.

The following table shows the number of families that will receive aid across 7 refugee camps:

ABOUT UNRWA
UNRWA, established by United Nations General Assembly in 1949, is unique in terms of its long-standing commitment to one group of refugees and its contribution to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees. Originally envisaged as a temporary organisation, the Agency has gradually adjusted its programmes to meet the changing needs of the refugees.  Today, UNRWA is the main provider of basic services -education, health, relief and social services- to over 4.2 million registered Palestine refugees in its five fields of operation in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

TO DONATE
Donate on The World Federation website
Donate in Canada or USA, (via NASIMCO)   
Donate in Europe (via CoEJ)

For more information, please email relief@world-federation.org