The Israeli bombardment of Gaza in May killed more than 250 Palestinians and injured more than 2,000. The Israeli army also destroyed many homes and infrastructures. This immediately generated a great and warm wave of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Young people and healthcare workers in action
The forced eviction of 500 families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities triggered violent protests throughout historic Palestine. Israel responded with brute force, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Our partner organisations reacted immediately to take care of the injured. Young volunteers cleared away the rubble and healthcare workers from Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) provided psychosocial support to the most vulnerable by increasing the number of home visits and activities for children in the affected neighbourhoods.
Huda (26), UHWC community worker in the Jabalia refugee camp: «After the ceasefire, many young people volunteer to help clear up the rubble. They are also helping families whose homes have been damaged by the bombardments so that they can return home quickly, despite the extent of the material damage.»
A warm wave of solidarity
In Belgium, there was an immediate outpouring of solidarity, with demonstrations in many towns across the country to protest against Israeli violence and the continuing blockade of Gaza, and fund-raising campaigns to meet the most urgent needs on the ground.
Hundreds of supporters responded to our appeal for emergency aid to support the work of UHWC, our partner in Gaza. The cities of Ghent and Ypres responded to the appeal. Médecine Pour Le Peuple, our sister organisation, has also launched an appeal to their patients and their social base. Thanks to all this support, we raised over €24,000. This would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors and the involvement of our volunteers!
With this financial support, UHWC can invest in mobile consultations to provide care and psychosocial support to the most vulnerable groups.
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