Mercy Corps is ramping up our emergency response in Gaza to reach thousands of displaced people who are quickly running out of food and supplies.
Since the ground invasion into northern and southeastern Gaza began on July 17, more than 100,000 people have fled increasing attacks, and civilian casualties are mounting.
Our team on the ground reports that East Gaza villages are virtually abandoned, and families are seeking safety together in large buildings. “They’re moving into schools, unfinished apartment buildings, empty commercial buildings, warehouses where 30-40 people are sleeping,” said Stuart Willcuts, Mercy Corps’ Emergency Response Team Leader for Gaza.
Terrified to leave these shelters, Gazans are facing food and water shortages that will only get worse by the day. A severe lack of electricity is also hampering their ability to cook or properly sanitize food before it’s prepared.
With our 85 national team members and a network of over 50 community organizations, Mercy Corps has the largest NGO presence on the ground in Gaza next to the U.N., and our dedicated local staff have already risked their own lives to reach over 1,000 families with humanitarian aid in the last week.
We’ve been distributing emergency food and supply packages including tuna, beans, dates, cheese, powder milk, rice, pasta, oil, and other basic necessities like blankets, baby wipes and diapers, detergent and hygiene items.
The volatile security situation limits our movements, but our team members — along with community-based organizations we have long-term partnerships with — have been able to deliver 300-400 packages a day to displacement sites. We are working to reach 5,000 families — approximately 40,000 people.
“All of this is being done during active conflict,” Willcuts noted. “The challenge is one of distribution during an ongoing battle.”
While the team works through these tremendous logistical and security challenges, our longer-term programs are currently suspended. At the same time we know that hundreds of thousands of children are experiencing significant trauma. Our team will be ready to expand our existing psychosocial programs to help young survivors as soon as it is safe to do so.