Gaza and West Bank Response Log
by Anera
In this log, Anera will provide updates on unfolding war in Palestine and our response. Please stay tuned here for the latest information. To subscribe for weekly updates via SMS on our response in Gaza, text GAZA to 1-866-549-0055.
April 25, 2024
Today, a total of 3,000 hot meals (consisting of rice and meat) were distributed at our oPt HF-funded Qatari camp kitchen. Additionally, we prepared and distributed 20,000 hot meals at our tekia (community kitchen) in Jabalia, bringing the total number of hot meals distributed to 23,000.
We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals.
Combining hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce, we provided enough food aid to sustain 72,000 meals today.
From our distribution center, we distributed 400 food parcels from JCI and 400 UNICEF hygiene kits, benefiting 800 families. This assistance was directed to approximately 8 informal shelters in Gaza’s middle area and Rafah.
Furthermore, we received 7 trucks from GEM carrying food aid.
April 24, 2024
Our Gaza team provided 23,000 rice and chicken hot meals at the Qatari camp in Rafah and at our kitchen in Jabalia. Anera also distributed 500 food parcels and 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, providing enough produce to support 74,800 meals. Between hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce, we distributed enough food aid to support 117,800 meals.
Anera also distributed 800 bags of flour from the Jordan Chamber of Industry and GEM, as well as 200 boxes of clothes, 500 packs of diapers and 600 hygiene kits from UNICEF. Distributions went to 10 informal shelters in Deir Al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Anera delivered our first shipment of medical donations to the north today. Our health staff in Gaza successfully sent 16 pallets to Gaza City and they are delivering the hygiene kits, healthcare supplies and medicines (including pregnancy multivitamins, antidiabetics and antihypertensive medications) to two health facilities in Gaza. The shipments come from Direct Relief and Americares.
The team in Gaza received seven trucks from UNICEF today, carrying hygiene kits and menstrual pads.
We also coordinated psychosocial activities at 11 schools in Rafah and Deir Al Balah, benefiting 1,489 children and 255 caregivers.
April 23, 2024
Today, we distributed enough food aid to support 144,400 meals, including hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce. We distributed a total of 3,000 hot meals of meat and rice at our oPt Humanitarian Fund-funded Qatari camp kitchen. And we prepared and distributed 20,000 hot meals in our tekia community kitchen in Jabalia. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah. Significantly, today we also extended our support to the north by transporting 1,600 fresh produce baskets to displaced people north of Wadi Gaza. Collectively, these fresh produce baskets provided enough produce to support 68,200 meals. And from our distribution center, we distributed 1,400 food parcels containing provisions provided by the Jordan Chamber of Industry.
Also today, we provided 200 boxes of clothing and 100 hygiene kits from UNICEF to 200 families in seven informal shelters in Deir Al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Lastly, we also conducted psychosocial support activities at 12 schools today, located across Rafah and Deir Al Balah, with 1,708 children participating.
April 22, 2024
Our Gaza team provided 23,000 rice and chicken hot meals at the Qatari camp in Rafah and at our kitchen in Jabalia. Anera also distributed 2,000 food parcels and 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. Between hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce, we distributed enough food aid to support 121,000 meals.
The team also conducted psychosocial support activities across 12 schools, with 8 sessions held in Rafah and 4 in Deir Al Balah, benefiting 1,960 children and 260 caregivers.
April 21, 2024
Our Gaza team provided 23,000 rice and chicken hot meals at the Qatari camp in Rafah and at our kitchen in Jabalia. Anera also distributed 1,000 food parcels and 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. Between hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce, we distributed enough food aid to support 94,000 meals.
The team also provided 7,200 juice cartons for children and 200 tarps among informal shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah.
April 20, 2024
Today, we distributed food aid to support 132,000 meals for people in Gaza, including hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce. We served 3,000 hot meals of chicken and rice at our oPt-funded Qatari camp kitchen. And we prepared and served 20,000 hot meals at our tekia community kitchen in Jabalia, in the north.
We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets total to Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals.
And from our distribution center, we sent out 2,000 food parcels filled with food aid provided by JCI and 120 tarps from UNICEF. We delivered this aid to eight informal shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah.
April 19, 2024
Today, a total of 3,000 hot meals (rice and chicken) were distributed at our oPt-funded Qatari camp kitchen. We also distributed 500 fresh produce baskets in the middle area, providing enough produce to support 11,000 meals. Between hot meals and fresh produce, we distributed enough food aid to support 14,000 meals.
Yesterday, we conducted psychosocial support (PSS) activities across 12 schools, with 8 sessions held in Rafah and 4 in Gaza’s middle area. More than 1,800 children benefited from these sessions.
Additionally, we held another free health day in Gaza’s middle area, situated northeast of Alzawieda village. This health day took place at an informal shelter and its vicinity, where hundreds of local and internally displaced families reside. Our medical team, comprising a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, and gynecologist, treated a total of 188 patients and provided them with free medications.
April 18, 2024
Today, a total of 23,000 hot meals were distributed as follows between our two kitchens:
- Jabalia tekia served 20,000 hot meals.
- The oPt Qatari camp kitchen provided 3,000 rice and chicken hot meals.
Additionally, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area, which provided enough produce to support 33,000 meals.
Overall, between hot meals, fresh produce, and food parcels, we distributed enough food aid to support 72,000 meals. Furthermore, aid provided by JCI, including 7,200 bags of detergent, 2,400 packs of tea, and 400 food parcels, was distributed to 4 informal shelters in Rafah.
Today marked the implementation of a free health day in the middle area of Gaza, specifically in Deir Al Balah. This health day took place at an informal shelter and its surrounding areas, catering to hundreds of local and internally displaced families. Our medical team, comprising a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, and gynecologist, provided care. In total, 169 patients received treatment, and free medications were distributed from our received MD shipments.
Yesterday, we conducted psychosocial support (PSS) activities across 10 schools, engaging 1,669 children and 257 adults.
April 17, 2024
Today, Anera’s team in Gaza distributed 23,000 hot chicken and rice meals at our Jabalia community kitchen and the Qatari camp in Rafah. They also delivered 1,000 food parcels and 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce and food parcels, we distributed enough food aid to support 89,000 meals.
Additionally, the team distributed a variety of aid provided by the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and UNICEF, including 33,700 boxes of children’s juice, 16,225 packs of biscuits, 3,500 bags of chips, 3,335 bags of rice and 1,000 tarps for tents. The aid went to 28 informal shelters in Khan Younis, Rafah and Deir Al Balah.
Our medical team in Gaza conducted a free healthcare day in Deir Al Balah at an informal shelter. Our medical team consists of a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist, nurse and a gynecologist. They treated 245 patients and dispensed free medicines from Direct Relief and Americares.
We also received eight trucks from JCI carrying a variety of food aid, including flour, rice, pasta, legumes, tuna and milk.
April 16, 2024
Today, a total of 23,000 hot meals were distributed between our tekia in the north and our oPt Humanitarian Fund supported kitchen:
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Qatari camp kitchen: 3,000 rice and chicken hot meals
In addition to this, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce, and food parcels, we distributed enough food aid to support 94,000 meals.
Additionally, we distributed a range of food and non-food aid generously donated by JCI, UNICEF, and GEM. This aid included 200 bags of flour and 1,080 1.5-liter water bottles from GEM. We also distributed JCI-provided items, including 1,000 food parcels, 1,200 detergent bags, 286 3.5kg bags of rice, 1,200 bottles of sanitizer, and 900 1kg bags of lentils.
UNICEF’s contribution included 140 hygiene kits, 2,000 boxes of clothes, and 56 tarps for tents. Additionally, 50 tents were distributed today. This aid was distributed to over 20 informal shelters in Mawasi Khan Younis, Khan Younis, Mawasi Rafah, Rafah city, and the middle area.
Today, we received one truck from JCI carrying flour.
Today, we successfully conducted a free health day in the Gaza’s middle area, specifically in Deir Al Balah. Our efforts were focused on the Abu Amer informal shelter, home to hundreds of displaced Palestinian families. Our dedicated medical team, comprising a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, and a gynecologist, provided essential healthcare services.
Throughout the day, our team attended to 170 patients, offering diagnosis, treatment, and medical advice. Furthermore, we dispensed necessary medications to patients at no cost, drawing from our stock received through MD shipments.
April 15, 2024
Our team in Gaza coordinated distribution of 23,000 hot meals of rice and chicken today in Jabalia and the Qatari camp in Rafah. They also distributed 1,200 food parcels and 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. With food parcels, hot meals and fresh vegetables, Anera distributed enough food aid to support 104,000 meals.
With shipments from the Jordan Chamber of Industry, the team also delivered eight bags of rice to a shelter that prepares hot meals, 53,200 cans of hummus, and 1,060 bags of zaatar. The aid went to 20 informal shelters located in Khan Younis, Khan Younis and the middle area.
We received six trucks from UNICEF, carrying hygiene kits, adult diapers and clothing.
Yesterday, with support from the International Rescue Committee, we resumed our psychosocial activities at nine schools in Rafah and the middle area. Some 1,402 children participated.
April 14, 2024
Anera’s Gaza team distributed 23,000 rice and chicken hot meals through our community kitchens in Jabalia and the Qatari camp kitchen. They also distributed 2,000 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, providing enough produce to support 44,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce and food parcels, Anera distributed enough food aid to support 89,500 meals.
We also distributed food and non-food items generously provided by our partner the Jordanian Chamber of Industry (JCI). The aid included 500 food parcels, 4,800 bags of detergent (two per family), 4,800 bottles of hand sanitizer, 12,330 bags of rice, and 1,000 bags of flour. Our team delivered the aid to 30 informal shelters in Khan Younis, Rafah and the middle area.
Between yesterday and today, we received in Gaza 15 trucks from JCI. The trucks were loaded with a variety of commodities, including legumes such as hummus, foul, white beans, and lentils. They also contain items like tomato paste, rice, juice and food parcels.
April 13, 2024
We are in the process of regrouping to resume hot meal distributions through Tekia program of community kitchens. In the wake of World Central Kitchen’s operational halt, we are exploring new supply chains for the raw ingredients to cook meals and return to our previous meal output levels. Today, one out of our seven tekias, the community kitchen in Jabalia, was operational and prepared 20,000 hot meals.
We also distributed a total of 1,000 fresh produce baskets today in Rafah and the middle area, providing enough produce to support 22,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce and food parcels, we distributed enough food aid to support 51,000 meals.
And we have now fully resumed our non-food distributions. Today, we distributed supplies generously provided by our partners, the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and UNICEF. The items courtesy of JCI included 12,000 400-gram bags of detergent (two bags per family); 12,000 bottles of hand sanitizer (two per family); 6,000 3-kilogram bags of rice distributed to 6,000 families; along with 900 25-kilogram bags of flour and 300 food parcels. And the items supplied by UNICEF that we distributed today included 2,000 tarps and 300 hygiene kits. We also distributed 50 tents today. We distributed these relief supplies to displaced people living in informal shelters in Khan Younis, Rafah, and the middle area.
April 12, 2024
Anera resumed operations in Gaza today. The Gaza team is readying supplies for our community kitchens to begin serving hot meals again. In the meantime, we received two trucks from Jordan Chamber of Industry filled with flour and rice.
The team also distributed Eid gift boxes to children, 20,000 boxes which have long been planned and packaged. The only question was when we would be able to distribute them. Now we can! The Eid boxes are a very special present for kids who have not had any fun, tasty treats since the beginning of the war.
April 11, 2024
Anera is immediately resuming vital humanitarian operations in Gaza. We paused all of our work on April 2, 2024, after Israeli airstrikes killed seven World Central Kitchen workers. Those deaths, on top of the deaths of over 200 other humanitarian aid workers, including Anera’s own Mousa Shawwa, caused our leadership and staff in Gaza to agree on the difficult decision of a temporary suspension, and to seek reassurances for the safe distribution of aid.
Since pausing last week, Anera has been advocating daily and stridently with US and Israeli authorities for the safety of humanitarian staff in Gaza. The international attention and pressure on the safety of aid workers and public statements in the last week by US and Israeli authorities, combined with specific assurances provided to Anera by Israeli authorities in a meeting today, allow Anera to resume vital humanitarian operations.
Read Anera President & CEO Sean Carroll’s full statement >>
April 2, 2024
Anera is Pausing Gaza Operations Amid Rising Threats and Attack on WCK
Following the targeted Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid convoy yesterday, resulting in the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers, Anera is taking the unprecedented step of pausing its humanitarian operations in Gaza.
The killing of WCK humanitarians, occurring less than a month after the still-unexplained killing of Anera staff member Mousa Shawwa, alongside the loss of numerous other aid workers and their families, has led our team to conclude that delivering aid safely is no longer feasible. For the safety of our staff and their families, we are suspending Anera’s work in Gaza.
Since the onset of the war on October 7, Anera’s Gaza team has provided an average of 150,000 meals daily (in collaboration with WCK), millions of medical treatments, and thousands of other critical emergency aid items. While we understand the severe consequences this suspension will have on the Palestinian population, the escalating risks associated with aid delivery leave us with no choice but to halt operations until our staff regain confidence that they can do their work without undue risk.
In nearly six months of conflict, this marks the first instance where our Palestinian staff in Gaza, enduring continuously hazardous conditions, have deemed the risk to their safety, and that of their families, intolerable. Anera’s longstanding presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, spanning over 55 years and enduring through multiple conflicts, underscores the gravity of this decision. The unprecedented scale of the current conflict and the disregard for international law necessitate this historic pause in our operations.
The attack on the seven WCK aid workers constitutes a clear violation of the International Court of Justice’s provisions, emphasizing that humanitarian workers and civilians must never be targeted. The ongoing targeting of humanitarian workers and the lack of adequate safety measures demand thorough investigation and immediate action. Israel bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the unhindered delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance and basic services to those in need.
In accordance with international law and principles of humanity, parties with effective control over a population are obligated to provide protection, ensuring the provision of essential supplies for civilian survival. Even if specific obligations under occupation laws do not apply, all parties must uphold the minimum duties outlined in international humanitarian law. Israel, as the occupying authority in Gaza, holds ultimate responsibility for obstructing the delivery of essential supplies and failing to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.
We reiterate our demand for adequate security for humanitarian and health workers, journalists, and all civilians, and call for an immediate and enduring ceasefire.
>>> FAQs About Anera’s Humanitarian Pause in Gaza
April 1, 2024
Today all of Anera’s seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, serving 77,300 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meals:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals (rice and meat)
- Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals (rice and meat)
- UN log base tekia: 7,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 2,150 fresh produce baskets with 750 to Khan Younis, 700 to Rafah and 650 to the middle area, providing enough produce to support 47,300 meals. Between hot meals and fresh produce, we distributed enough food aid to support 124,600 meal.
We distributed 200 bags of flour and 2,400 bottles of water, provided by GEM to displaced people living in informal shelters in Mawasi, Khan Younis.
🚛 Today we received seven trucks to our distribution center in Rafah. The second tent shipment has arrived, bringing with it 160 tents. With this latest delivery, we have now received a total of 704 tents. We also received three trucks from the Jordan Chamber of Industry: one transporting lentil soup; another containing a mix of halva, jam, flour, chocolate, and coffee; and a third carrying wafers. Additionally, we received three UNICEF trucks: one carrying hygiene kits, one carrying water buckets and gallon containers, and another stocked with hygiene kits and diapers.
Yesterday, the team conducted psychosocial activities in 12 schools – eight in Rafah and four in the middle area. 1,577 children participated, with 222 caregivers enjoying the activities alongside their children.
March 31, 2024
Today all seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, serving 78,800 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meals:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 7,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 7,500 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 2,500 fresh produce baskets with 750 going to Khan Younis, 750 to Rafah and 750 to the middle area, providing enough produce to support 55,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce and food parcels, the Gaza team distributed enough food aid to support 142,800 meals.
The team also distributed 510 bags of flour and 6,120 1.5-liter water bottles, all provided by GEM. Additionally, we put together 500 food parcels using food aid provided by our partner, the Jordan Chamber of Industry. These parcels consisted of three kilograms of rice and yogurt (jameed). We also included two chickens in each parcel, bought with funds from Islamic Relief USA. The team distributed the parcels to displaced individuals living in makeshift shelters located in the western and middle areas of Rafah.
With the rice, yogurt and chicken, Anera’s tekia at the Rafah crossing made enough mansaf – a traditional Palestinian dish – for 3,000 people. This was a special treat for Ramadan.
We also received in our distribution center a shipment of 272 tents and started distribution of an Americares shipment, containing vital, rarely found chronic medication for diabetes and hypertension. These medicines are not available at all in local pharmacies, so the shipment is truly life-saving for many patients suffering from chronic conditions.
March 30, 2024
We distributed enough food aid to support 137,900 meals today, including hot meals, fresh produce and food parcels. All seven of our tekias (community kitchens) were operational today, along with one kitchen supported by the oPt Humanitarian Fund. Together the kitchens served a total of 85,400 hot meals:
• Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
• Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
• UN logistics base tekia: 7,500 hot meals
• Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals
• Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals
• Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 3,000 hot meals
• Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
• Rafah crossing kitchen: 5,100 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed a total of 2,250 fresh produce baskets to Mawasi, Khan Younis, Rafah and the middle area, providing enough produce to support 49,500 meals.
We also distributed 570 bags of flour, 6,840 1.5-liter water bottles, and 100 food parcels from our distribution center in Rafah, all provided by GEM. Additionally, we distributed 150 UNICEF blankets. All this aid went to displaced individuals residing in makeshift shelters in the middle area and Rafah.
March 29, 2024
Today six out of seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational and they served a total of 87,800 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the distributions:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
We also distributed 125 tarps from UNICEF to four camps in Rafah.
We received five trucks today all donated by our partner in Jordan JCI: two trucks with powder detergent, one with rice, one with flour, and one with hand sanitizer.
Yesterday, our Gaza team facilitated psychosocial activities in eight schools in Rafah, two in Nusseirat and two in Deir Al Balah. 1,948 children participated, with 223 caregivers enjoying the fun and friendship alongside them.
March 28, 2024
Today, six out of seven tekias (community kitchens) and one out of four kitchens supported by the oPt Humanitarian Fund were operational. Together, they facilitated the provision of 77,900 hot meals to those in need. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the meals distributed:
- Tekias:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 3,600 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- oPt Humanitarian Fund supported kitchens:
- Mawasi, Khan Younis kitchen: 3,000 hot meals
In addition to the provision of hot meals, we distributed 2,500 fresh produce baskets, allocating 750 to Mawasi Khan Younis, 1,000 to Rafah, and 750 to the middle area. This supply is sufficient to support an additional 55,000 meals.
In North Gaza, we distributed 1,500 food parcels, supported by IRUSA.
With a combination of hot meals, fresh produce, and food parcels, we successfully distributed enough food aid to support 162,900 meals.
Furthermore, from our distribution center in Rafah, we distributed 200 mattresses from Project Hope and 100 food parcels from GEM to displaced individuals residing in informal shelters within Rafah.
Additionally, we received two trucks from JCI: one transporting rice and the other loaded with powdered detergent. We also received the first shipment of tents, carried by a truck containing 21 pallets, totaling 241 tents.
Moreover, today marked the initiation of the distribution of a Direct Relief shipment, including anticancer medication and substantial quantities of critically needed new-generation antidiabetic medication, currently unavailable in local pharmacies. Our distribution efforts will persist over the next two days to ensure timely access to these vital medications.
Yesterday, our outreach extended to delivering psychosocial support (PSS) and recreational activities to 8 schools in Rafah. A total of 1,198 children, including 53 children with disabilities, benefited from these activities. Furthermore, 172 caregivers enjoyed these activities alongside their children.
March 27, 2024
Today all seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, along with two kitchens supported by the oPt Humanitarian Fund. Together they served a total of 96,200 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meal:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 1,800 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Qatari camp kitchen: 3,600 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
- Mawasi, Khan Younis kitchen: 3,000 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 2,250 fresh produce baskets with 750 in Khan Younis, 750 in Rafah and 750 in the middle area, providing enough produce to support 49,500 meals. Anera distributed enough food aid to support 146,900 meals today.
From our distribution center in Rafah, we distributed 300 mattresses from Project Hope to displaced people living in informal shelters in the Mawasi, Khan Younis and Rafah.
With support from the International Rescue Committee, the Gaza team also continued to facilitate psychosocial activities tailored to children, aged four to 11, across eight schools in Rafah. A total of 1,393 children enthusiastically participated in these activities along with 224 parents.
March 26, 2024
Between hot meals, fresh produce, food parcels and bread, we distributed enough food aid to support 165,200 meals today. All seven of our tekias (community kitchens) were operational, along with two out of our four kitchens supported by the oPt Humanitarian Fund. The kitchens served a total of 106,700 hot meals:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 1,800 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Qatari Camp kitchen: 7,500 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis kitchen: 3,000 hot meals
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In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets to Mawasi, Khan Younis and Rafah, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. From our distribution center in Rafah, we distributed 800 food parcels provided by GEM.
We also distributed 500 mattresses from Project HOPE to displaced people living in informal shelters in the north and middle areas of Rafah.
And yesterday we held activities in seven schools in Rafah, providing recreation and psychosocial support. A total of 726 children took part, with 188 caregivers accompanying them during the sessions.
March 25, 2024
Today all of Anera’s seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, along with all four kitchens supported by oPt Humanitarian Fund. Together they served a total of 124,700 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meal:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 7,200 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 3,600 fresh flatbreads
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 fresh flatbreads
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 1,800 fresh flatbreads
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis kitchen: 9,000 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
- Qatari camp kitchen: 9,000 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
- Mawasi, Khan Younis kitchen: 6,000 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
- Middle area kitchen: 4,500 hot meals (oPt Humanitarian Fund)
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets with 750 to Mawasi, Khan Younis and 750 in Rafah, providing enough produce to support 33,000 meals. Between hot meals, fresh produce, food parcels and bread, we distributed enough food aid to support 189,200.
From our distribution center in Rafah, the Gaza team distributed 1,000 food parcels provided by GEM, 200 mattresses from Project Hope, and 200 UNICEF tarps for tents to displaced people in Mawasi, Rafah and Mawasi, Khan Younis.
Our medical team began distributing Direct Relief shipments that include anti-cancer medicines and anesthesia, both of which have been at zero stock in Gaza. Anera is sending the anti-cancer medicines to the Turkish Hospital.
March 24, 2024
Today six out of seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, and one out of four kitchens supported by oPt Humanitarian Fund. Together, they served a total of 89,600 hot meals. Here’s a breakdown of the meals:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis kitchen: 10,500 hot meals
Additionally, 1,150 fresh produce baskets were distributed, with 650 to Mawasi Khan Younis and 500 in Rafah, providing enough produce to support 25,300 meals.
In total, between hot meals, fresh produce, food parcels, and bread, enough food aid was distributed to support 122,830 people.
From the distribution center in Rafah, 3,000 25 kg bags of flour, 2,400 1.5-liter bottles of water, and 200 food parcels provided by GEM were distributed to displaced individuals in Rafah and Khan Younis.
Today, we successfully executed the second free health day in Gaza’s middle area, specifically targeting the highly marginalized and impoverished community of Alsawarah, home to hundreds of internally displaced families. For this initiative, we utilized the premises of a preschool, generously provided by our longstanding partner, the Rural Women Development Society.
Our medical team, comprised of a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist, and nurse, delivered comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
March 23, 2024
Anera is a signatory to a collective statement by 11 humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza submitted to the U.S. government and announced publicly today. The statement notes that “humanitarian response in Gaza, including U.S. funded humanitarian assistance, has been consistently and arbitrarily denied, restricted, and impeded by the Israeli authorities.”
We provided 153,695 meals today, including hot meals, bread and fresh produce baskets. All seven of our tekias (community kitchens) were operational today and cooked a total of 95,000 hot meals:
- Qatari Camp, Rafah tekia: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN logistics base, Rafah tekia: 16,500
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 18,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 6,900 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
Apart from our tekias, we also operated two additional kitchens supported by oPt Humanitarian Fund and in partnership with World Central Kitchen:
- Khan Younis kitchen prepared 9,365 hot meals
- Middle area kitchen prepared 4,500 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,950 fresh produce baskets to displaced people in the middle area; Mawasi, Khan Younis; and Rafah, providing enough raw produce to prepare 42,900 meals.
In a significant development, we were able to dispatch three trucks today carrying a total of 660 25 kilogram (55 pound) bags of flour provided by GEM to displaced individuals in north Gaza. Additionally, we distributed 3,000 25 kilogram bags of flour to informal shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah.
Also notable today, we implemented our first free field health clinic day in a new area, in the east of Zawayda, in a preschool. Our medical team includes a general practitioner, pediatrician, dentist, pharmacist and nurse.
And last night we received two trucks carrying a total of 400 mattresses donated by GEM and Project Hope, as well as five trucks carrying some 340 pallets of water from GEM.
March 22, 2024
Today all seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational and provided 96,930 meals, including freshly baked bread. This is the breakdown of the meal distributions:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 18,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis: 6,900 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
Between last night and today, Anera’s team in Gaza received 18 trucks: 17 from Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and 1 from UNICEF. Below is the breakdown of what came in:
- 8 trucks of flour from GEM
- 2 trucks of food kits from GEM
- 4 trucks carrying 1,100 mattresses from GEM and Project Hope
- 1 truck of water from GEM
- 1 truck carrying diapers, biscuits, women’s clothes, vegetable oil, and mattresses from GEM
- 1 truck carrying medicines (IV fluid, antibiotics, ointments, and water) from GEM
- 1 truck from UNICEF containing 7 large plastic buckets, 3 coverage fixing kits (nails and bolts), and 8 large tents
The team also coordinated two health days in Rafah with medicines and healthcare supplies donated by Direct Relief and International Health Partners UK. And, with support from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Anera organized recreational and psychosocial activities for 500 children living in three UN shelters.
March 21, 2024
Today, all seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational including one oPt Humanitarian Fund kitchen, collectively preparing a total of 96,500 hot meals. The distribution breakdown is as follows:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis oPt Humanitarian Fund kitchen: 900 hot meals
In addition to the hot meals, we distributed 1,950 fresh produce baskets, with 650 allocated to displaced people in the middle area, 650 to Mawasi Khan Younis, and 650 in Rafah, supporting approximately 42,900 meals.
Today’s efforts totaled 141,330 meals, encompassing hot meals, bread, and fresh produce.
Furthermore, we received seven trucks from GEM, carrying five loads of flour and two with food parcels.
Additionally, we conducted two health days in Rafah.
Yesterday, we successfully delivered psychosocial support (PSS) activities in two schools in Rafah, benefiting 300 children at Al Khawarizmi school and 250 at Al Tayef, as part of our pilot week of the IRC funded project.
March 20, 2024
The IPC Famine Review Committee was activated on March 1, 2024, due to the severity of provided evidence. Their review confirms imminent famine in North Gaza and Gaza Governorates, expected between mid-March and May 2024. Famine thresholds for acute food insecurity and malnutrition have been surpassed, with rising trends in mortality expected to worsen. In the southern and middle governorates, there’s a risk of famine until mid-July in a worst-case scenario.
Preventing or mitigating the projected famine is crucial. Urgent political decisions for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian and commercial access are necessary to provide food, water, medicine, and protection to Gaza’s population. Restoration of essential services like healthcare, water, sanitation, and energy is also imperative.
Read the report from the IPC Famine Committee >>
Today all seven tekias were operational and cooked a total of 95,600 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meal:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals and 3,600 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Mawasi, Khan Younis: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,950 fresh produce baskets with 650 going to displaced people in the middle area and 650 to Mawasi Khan Younis and 650 in Rafah, providing enough produce to support 42,900 meals.
In total, we provided 140,430 meals today including hot meals, bread and fresh produce.
The Gaza team also distributed 1,300 blankets and 1,300 sleeping mats from UNICEF to informal shelters in Rafah city, Mawasi Rafah and Mawasi Khan Younis.
March 19, 2024
We are saddened to report that Karim, the son of Anera staff member Mousa Shawwa who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, passed away yesterday due to his injuries.
A message from our Palestine country director, Sandra Rasheed, on Karim’s death:
Karim, son of our staff member who was killed by an Israeli airstrike, succumbed to his wounds a short time ago.
Karim is just one of 13,450 children killed in the past five months of war on Gaza. Since October, the number of Palestinian children killed is higher than the number of children killed within the past 4 years of global conflict.
Karim is the latest child to not reach his next birthday. This hits particularly hard because I knew Karim. I high fived him when I visited.
He told me what he wanted to be when he grew up (a race car driver), and he hid shyly away from me when I asked him more questions. He was six…a mirror image of his father in looks, temperament and love for family.
This is a tragedy on so many levels. We’ve lost thousands of children, who had mothers and fathers who loved them. They had dreams of becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers… race car drivers.
We should all hang our heads in shame that we have not been able to ensure a ceasefire. May they both rest in peace.
Today, our efforts have expanded as we launched two additional kitchens, catering to the growing needs of our community. Particularly noteworthy is the delivery of a meat meal to displaced people residing in Jabalia in the north, a much-needed source of protein that has been scarce for quite some time.
A total of 10 active sites across Gaza provided hot meals to displaced individuals. All seven tekias (community kitchens) and three OCHA kitchens were operational, collectively preparing 104,600 hot meals. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the meal distribution:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN Log base tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals along with 4,500 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis: 9,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
- Qatari Camp UNOCHA kitchen: 3,000 hot meals
- Middle area UNOCHA kitchen: 4,500 hot meals
- Khan Younis UNOCHA kitchen: 4,500 hot meals
In addition to the hot meals, we distributed 1,950 fresh produce baskets, with 650 allocated to displaced people in the middle area, 650 to Mawasi Khan Younis, and 650 in Rafah. These provisions are sufficient to sustain 42,900 meals.
In total, we provided 148,200 meals today, including hot meals, bread, and fresh produce.
Furthermore, we distributed 400 packs of diapers, along with 1,000 blankets and 1,000 sleeping mats provided by UNICEF to informal shelters in Rafah and Mawasi Khan Younis.
Today marks the reception of the final truck from the second medical donations shipment, carrying 12 pallets of medicines and medical supplies generously donated by MedGlobal and Americares. Additionally, we successfully implemented two health days in Rafah, further enhancing our health efforts.
March 18, 2024
Today, six out of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, efficiently producing a total of 83,600 hot meals to alleviate hunger in our community. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the meal distribution from each tekia:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN Log base tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,600 hot meals along with 4,500 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
Additionally, we extended our support by distributing 2,200 fresh produce baskets. Among these, 650 baskets were allocated to displaced individuals in the middle area, 900 to Mawasi Khan Younis, and 650 in Rafah, providing essential ingredients for an estimated 48,400 meals.
In total, our efforts today provided 132,700 meals, comprising hot meals, bread, and fresh produce. Furthermore, we assisted by distributing 550 packs of diapers and 100 bags of flour, each weighing 50kg, to informal shelters in Rafah and the middle area.
We are proud to announce that, with the generous support from the Jordan Chamber of Industry, we successfully delivered five trucks carrying essential supplies including rice, flour, beans, crackers, and diapers to North Gaza. This delivery arrives at a critical moment when hunger levels are alarmingly high in North Gaza due to a severe scarcity of aid across all forms due to Israeli restrictions.
Psychosocial support activities (PSS) for children and displaced families in shelters have resumed, thanks to the generous funding from IRC. Yesterday, 675 children enjoyed PSS and recreational activities at two Rafah Schools: Al Khoarizmi and Sikka schools.
March 17, 2024
Today six of our seven tekias were operational, cooking 86,000 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meals provided by each tekia:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 16,500
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, Anera’s Gaza team distributed enough fresh produce in the middle area, Mawasi (Khan Younis) and Rafah to make 26,400 meals. In total, Anera provided 113,100 meals today including hot meals and fresh produce.
March 16, 2024
“It’s a nightmare that is much more than a humanitarian crisis — it’s a crisis of humanity. And the situation is beyond catastrophic. …. It’s worse than I can describe or that pictures can show or that you can imagine. …. Everyone we passed, everyone we spoke to, was gaunt, frail, emaciated, hungry.”
— Dominic Allen, United Nations Population Fund, just returned from a week in Gaza
Today, we provided a total of 132,300 meals, including hot meals, bread and fresh produce. All of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational today and cooked a total of 92,000 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of the meals provided by each tekia:
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN Log base tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 6,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,800 fresh produce baskets to displaced people in the middle area; Mawasi, Khan Younis; and Rafah, providing enough produce to support 39,600 meals.
Since early March, we’ve distributed approximately 20,000 WFP food parcels to displaced individuals in Rafah and Khan Younis.
Last night, we received a truck from UNICEF containing large tarps, which can be used to assemble tents. And today we have received four trucks from UNICEF carrying blankets and tarps.
March 15, 2024
Today all seven of Anera’s tekias (community kitchens) were operational and cooked a total of 95,000 hot meals. Below is a breakdown of what each tekia provided:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 15,000
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, our Gaza team coordinated the delivery of enough fresh produce across the middle area, Mawasi (Khan Younis) and Rafah to make 26,400 meals. In total, Anera provided 122,100 meals today including hot meals, bread and fresh produce.
Yesterday, we received six trucks at our distribution center: two trucks carrying water and flour, three carrying blankets and one carrying hygiene kits.
March 14, 2024
Today, all seven of our tekias (community kitchens) were in operation, delivering crucial sustenance to those in need. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the meals provided by each tekia:
- Qatari Camp Tekia in Rafah: 18,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing Tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- UN Log Base Tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Middle Area Tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis Tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis Tekia: 6,000 hot meals
- Jabalia Tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to the hot meals, we distributed 1,200 fresh produce baskets, ensuring enough produce to support 26,400 meals. Specifically:
- 400 baskets were allocated to displaced individuals in the Middle Area
- 400 to Mawasi Khan Younis
- 400 in Rafah
In total, we managed to provide 121,400 meals today, encompassing hot meals, food parcels, and fresh produce. Additionally, we facilitated the distribution of:
- 300 food parcels from Life Makers
- 3,600 1.5-liter bottles of water from GEM
- 40 tents from WCK to informal shelters in Rafah
Yesterday, we received three trucks, each carrying essential supplies:
- Tents from World Central Kitchen
- Diapers from UNICEF
- Food parcels from Life Makers
Today, our medical donations team in Gaza has received a vital shipment of medicines, including psychiatric medications that have been unavailable since December 2023, as confirmed by our partner, the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP). Additionally, we have successfully distributed another shipment generously donated by Pharmacists Without Borders Germany. This shipment includes various health kits containing medicines, equipment, and essential supplies, furthering our mission to improve healthcare access in Gaza.
March 13, 2024
All of Anera’s seven tekias (community kitchens) in Gaza were operational today, preparing a range of meals including lentil soup, rice and lentils, potatoes, and white beans and rice. The team in Gaza delivered hot meals to 113,000 displaced individuals. Here’s the breakdown:
- Qatari camp tekia in Rafah: 33,000 hot meals
- Rafah crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
- UN log base tekia: 15,000
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, the Gaza team coordinated delivery of enough fresh produce across the middle area and Mawasi, Khan Younis to make 32,000 meals.
In total, Anera managed to provide 145,600 meals today, including hot meals, bread, and fresh produce.
We also received one truck from Life Makers carrying flour.
March 12, 2024
Today, all seven of the community kitchens in our Tekia program were operational. The tekias prepared a range of meals depending on the local availability of ingredients, including lentils soup, rice and lentils, potatoes, and white beans and rice. We delivered these hot meals to a total of 113,000 displaced individuals. Here is a breakdown of the meals provided by each tekia:
• Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 33,000 hot meals
• Rafah Crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
• UN Logistics base tekia: 16,500
• Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
• Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
• Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 7,500 hot meals
• Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, we distributed 1,200 fresh produce baskets to displaced people in Rafah and Khan Younis, providing enough produce to support 26,400 meals. In total, we managed to provide 159,000 meals today, including hot meals, bread, fresh produce and food parcels.
Today, we also distributed 400 packs of diapers by UNICEF and 1,000 food parcels (19,000 meals) by Life Makers to displaced people living in informal shelters in Mawasi, Khan Younis, Rafah City and Rafah.
March 11, 2024
On the first day of Ramadan, six out of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were in full operation, delivering hot meals to a total of 98,000 displaced individuals. Each tekia prepared soup to break people’s fast, accompanied by a main meal. Here is a breakdown of the meals provided by each tekia:
• Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 33,000 hot meals
• Rafah Crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
• Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
• Khan Younis tekia: 15,000 hot meals and 4,500 loaves of bread
• Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals
• Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our hot meals, the Gaza team distributed enough fresh produce around Deir El Balah and Rafah to make 62,700 meals. In total, our colleagues coordinated distributions of 161,300 meals today, including hot meals, bread and fresh produce.
Our support further included the distribution of 61 50-kg bags of flour and 3,360 1.5-liter water bottles from GEM, 250 food parcels from Life Makers, and hygiene kits from UNICEF to support 600 families. The team in Gaza distributed the items to displaced families in Rafah and Khan Younis.
March 10, 2024
The entire Anera organization and our Gaza staff are in mourning. We deeply grieve the loss of our dear friend Mousa Shawwa, colleague, father, brother, husband and dedicated humanitarian. There is a hole in our heart.
On March 8, Mousa Shawwa, Anera’s logistics coordinator in Gaza, was killed by an Israeli strike despite the fact the coordinates of his shelter had been provided for the purpose of protecting him on several occasions, including just days before the attack.
Text from our press release, published late on March 8, 2024:
The killing of Mousa Shawwa occurred just hours after US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union in which he warned Israel’s leaders that “humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip.” In the address, Biden announced an American-led emergency mission to establish a temporary port on the coast of Gaza “that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.” If Israel continues to target humanitarian workers, who is going to be left in Gaza to distribute the aid that President Biden is promising?
National Security Memorandum-20, issued by the White House on February 8, 2024, requires the Secretary of State to receive written assurances from any government receiving US military assistance that it “will facilitate and not arbitrarily deny, restrict, or otherwise impede, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance and United States Government-supported international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance.” To date, the government of Israel has not provided these written assurances.
Humanitarian organizations such as Anera are protected by international law and the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice on January 26, 2024. We must be able to ensure that our staff can do their jobs without risking their lives and the lives of their families. Anera demands an independent investigation into the death of Mousa Shawwa, which underscores the urgent need for accountability and reliable measures to ensure the safety of aid workers. Without decisive action to safeguard humanitarian workers, the promise of aid, including President Biden’s commitment, are futile.
Read the full press release here.
Our humanitarian response in Gaza has been on-going throughout these horrific events. Here is a breakdown of humanitarian aid delivered between March 9-10, 2024:
March 10, 2024 (Today’s Update):
Today, six out of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, collectively serving hot meals to 99,500 displaced individuals.
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 33,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition to our food interventions, we distributed 1,000 fresh produce baskets to displaced individuals in Deir El Balah, providing enough produce for 33,000 meals.
Overall, we provided 132,500 meals today, encompassing both hot meals and fresh produce.
Furthermore, we distributed 750 packs of diapers provided by UNICEF and 19,620 1.5-liter water bottles provided by GEM to informal shelters in both Rafah and Khan Younis.
March 9, 2024 (Yesterday’s Update):
Yesterday, all seven of our tekias (community kitchens) were operational, collectively serving hot meals to 116,000 displaced individuals. Despite the challenges posed by inflated prices and meat scarcity in Gaza, our partnership with WCK enabled us to procure meat and prepare nutritious meals, incorporating both meat and vegetables, in six of our tekias.
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 33,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 12,000 hot meals
- UN Log base tekia in Rafah: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Khan Younis tekia: 16,500 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
In addition, we distributed 2,450 WFP food parcels, providing 87,857 meals, and 270 diapers provided by UNICEF to displaced individuals residing in informal shelters in Rafah.
The total meals served yesterday amounted to 203,857, inclusive of hot meals and food parcels.
Furthermore, we received a total of 9 trucks yesterday: 4 trucks transporting food parcels from Life Makers, 4 trucks carrying water by GEM, and one truck delivering diapers provided by UNICEF.
March 9, 2024
Our colleague Mousa Shawwa was killed in Gaza yesterday.
Although our program activities are ongoing, our team is grieving and we are unable to get updates at this time. We expect to have a program update tomorrow.
March 8, 2024
On this International Women’s Day, we share the below tweet from UNRWA.
Today six of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational, serving a total of 83,000 hot meals to displaced people.
- The tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 15,000 meals,
- Rafah Crossing’s tekia served 15,000 meals,
- The tekia near the UN log base prepared 16,500 meals
- The tekia in the middle area served 10,500 meals,
- The tekia in Mawasi, Khan Younis provided 6,000 meals.
- Jabalia camp in the north served 20,000 meals
With support from Project Hope, Anera’s team in Gaza delivered 300 blankets and distributed 3,600 1.5-liter water bottles supplied by GEM to makeshift shelters in Rafah city. Anera also provided UNICEF hygiene kits to 100 families residing in informal shelters in Rafah city.
March 7, 2024
Today, five out of our six tekias were operational. Here is a breakdown of meals served:
- The tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 15,000 meals,
- Rafah Crossing’s tekia served 12,000 meals,
- The tekia in the middle area served 10,200 meals,
- The tekia in Mawasi, Khan Younis provided 3,000 meals.
- Jabalia camp in the north served 20,000 meals
In total, we served 60,200 meals today to displaced individuals.
With support from Helping Hands for Relief and Development, we successfully distributed 1,100 menstrual health kits to aid displaced women in Gaza in meeting their hygiene needs. This support was extended to informal shelters in Rafah. Additionally, we provided further assistance by distributing 320 hygiene kits from UNICEF, benefiting 640 families residing at Rafah Crossing Camp.
Today, we received five trucks from UNICEF—four loaded with hygiene kits and one carrying diapers. Furthermore, the third medical donations truck arrived today, carrying 25 pallets. Out of these, 22 pallets were from Direct Relief, and three were provided by Pharmacists without Borders Germany.
Two health days were held today in Rafah.
March 6, 2024
Despite our daily reports of deliveries here on this log, we still regularly hear from people who are surprised to learn that any aid at all is reaching Gaza. We have a new page on the website, which we hope addresses some of the confusion and answers common questions about if and how aid actually reaches people in need in Gaza. Take a look at our new page called “Does Aid to Gaza Actually Reach People in Need?“
Five of our seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational today, serving hot meals to 62,000 displaced people in total.
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 15,000 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 15,000 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 9,000 hot meals
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 3,000 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
With support from Helping Hands for Relief and Development, our Gaza team distributed 650 menstrual health kits across seven informal shelters in Rafah. The team also provided support by distributing 365 packs of diapers and 30 hygiene kits from UNICEF to informal shelters in Rafah.
We also received a truck from Direct Relief carrying 10 pallets of medicines and medical supplies.
March 5, 2024
Today, despite significant operational challenges, four out of our six Tekias (community kitchens) were operational. With supplies running very low, meal options were restricted to basics like rice, lentil soup, and macaroni.
The Tekia at the Qatari Camp provided 15,000 meals, while Rafah Crossing’s Tekia served a similar number. In the central area, 9,000 meals were provided, with the newest addition in Mawasi-Khan Younis contributing 3,000 meals. Meanwhile, our kitchen in Jabalia camp, located in the north, diligently prepared 20,000 meals. In Gaza City, we distributed 500 food parcels, equivalent to 5,500 meals.
In total, we successfully distributed 67,500 meals today, including both hot meals and food parcels distributed in Gaza City.
Our Gaza staff also distributed 250 diapers and 100 hygiene kits from UNICEF, along with 200 sets of menstrual pads and wipes from Project Hope to displaced individuals in Rafah.
Furthermore, our efforts were bolstered by the arrival of a truck from UNICEF, containing much-needed hygiene kits and baby food supplements.
March 4, 2024
Our Tekias (community kitchens), vital for families in need of food, faced challenges today as we encountered shortages in supplies. Despite this, five out of six Tekias managed to operate. Here’s a breakdown of their contributions:
- The tekia adjacent to the Qatari Camp provided 15,000 meals.
- At Rafah Crossing, our tekia served another 15,000 meals.
- The tekia stationed at the UN log base in Rafah catered to 10,500 meals.
- In the middle area, 9,000 meals were dispensed alongside the baking of 3,600 loaves of bread.
- Our newest tekia in Mawasi-Khan Younis provided sustenance to 3,000 individuals.
- In Gaza City, we dispensed 1,000 food parcels, totaling 11,000 meals.
- Our tekia in Jabalia, situated in the north, provided hot meals to 20,000 people, alleviating hunger in the community.
Collectively, we served a total of 84,054 meals today, encompassing hot meals, bread, and food parcels.
In addition to meals, we distributed crucial supplies: 1,000 diapers and 500 hygiene kits courtesy of UNICEF. Further aid included sets containing 2 packs of menstrual pads and 3 packs of wipes from Project Hope. These vital resources were extended to displaced individuals residing in informal shelters in Mawasi-Rafah and Rafah City.
Last night, we gratefully received four trucks from UNICEF. Among them, two carried hygiene kits, while the other two held a mix of hygiene kits and diapers. Furthermore, one medical donation truck transported 28 pallets – 9 from IHP and 19 from Direct Relief – loaded with essential medicines and medical supplies.
Additionally, we dedicated today to implementing two health days, prioritizing the well-being of the community.
March 3, 2024
Six of our seven tekias (community kitchens) operated today, but we are running out of food supplies and the meals mostly consisted of macaroni. The tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 24,000 meals, the Rafah crossing tekia served 12,000 meals, the tekia at the UN log base in Rafah made 16,500 meals, the one in the middle area served 9,000 meals and 3,600 fresh loaves of bread, our newest tekia in Mawasi provided 3,000 meals, and the kitchen in Jabalia camp in the north served 20,000 people. The Gaza team also distributed in Mawasi, Khan Younis enough 500 fresh produce to make 16,500 meals. to IDPs in Mawasi Khan Younis, providing enough produce to support 16,500 meals.
In total, Anera served 101,554 meals, including hot meals, bread and fresh produce.
We also distributed 2,000 family hygiene kits provided by Project Hope. Each kit contains one pack of diapers with 32 diapers, two packs of wipes, and two packs of menstrual pads. The Gaza team distributed them to displaced people living in makeshift tents in Mawasi, Khan Younis and Mawasi, Rafah as well as in informal shelters near Rafah city. In total, we distributed 2,000 packs of diapers, 4,000 packs of wipes, and 4,000 packs of menstrual pads.
Late last night we also received three trucks from UNICEF: two carrying hygiene kits and one diapers.
The Gaza health team also coordinated two health days in Mawasi, Khan Younis today.
March 2, 2024
A report from CNN details some of the unimaginable cruelties that are being visited upon the civilian population of Gaza. Separately, 10 children are now officially recorded as having starved to death, and the World Health Organization notes that the “unofficial numbers can unfortunately be expected to be higher.”
Today six of the seven community kitchens in our tekia program were operational. Our tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 33,000 meals; our Rafah Crossing kitchen served 12,000 meals; the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah offered 16,500 meals; our kitchen in the middle area served 9,000 meals; our tekia in Mawasi, Khan Younis provided 6,000 meals; and our kitchen in Jabalia camp in the north served 20,000 people with a meal of hot potato stew. In total, we served 96,500 hot meals today. We also distributed 500 food parcels to people in Gaza City.
Additionally, we distributed a total of 2,000 family hygiene bags. Each bag comprises one pack of diapers containing 32 diapers, two packs of wipes, and two packs of menstrual pads. These hygiene bags were provided to displaced people living in makeshift tents in Mawasi Khan Younis, Mawasi Rafah, and informal shelters near Rafah City. In total, we distributed 2,000 packs of diapers, 4,000 packs of wipes, and 4,000 packs of menstrual pads.
We also hosted two field health clinics in Rafah today.
March 1, 2024
All of Anera’s seven tekias (community kitchens) were operational. They have enough supplies to operate today and tomorrow, maximum but the meals are very plain. In total our Gaza team coordinated the distribution of 113,995 hot meals to displaced families.
The teams also distributed 520 food parcels in Beit Hanoun in the north. Anera purchased all of the items locally from nearby vendors. The parcels include potatoes, carrots, lemons, cooking oil, tomato paste and za’atar. Each weighs five kilograms (11 pounds). Though minimal, the parcels are helping starving families.
Learn more about Anera’s deliveries in the north of Gaza >>
February 29, 2024
More than 100 Palestinians were killed and around 700 others injured when Israeli troops fired upon hundreds of civilians waiting for humanitarian food aid in Gaza City. This horrific event unfolds as the besieged enclave grapples with deliberate starvation.
Crowds had gathered on Al Rashid Street, anticipating the arrival of humanitarian aid trucks carrying flour. Israeli troops then opened fire, causing mass panic and resulting in many casualties, either through gunfire or in the ensuing chaos.
Verified footage by Al Jazeera showed numerous casualties being loaded onto trucks, as ambulances were unable to reach the area. A witness speaking to Al Jazeera recounted, “We went to get flour. The Israeli army shot at us. Many are dead, and we are still retrieving them. There is no medical assistance available.”
News reports also indicate that Israeli tanks advanced after the gunfire, running over many of the deceased and injured individuals.
The international community must urgently intervene to halt these egregious human rights violations against innocent civilians seeking humanitarian aid. There is no justification for such violence.
Today, only two of our six tekias were operational due to supply shortages and the blocking of humanitarian aid. In Khan Younis, our tekia served 7,500 savory cheese pies, while the one in the middle area provided hot meals for 9,000 people along with 6,300 servings of bread. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed potato stew to 20,000 people. As part of our food interventions, we also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets. Overall, we supplied 86,969 meals today, including hot meals, bread, and fresh produce.
Three trucks from GEM arrived at our distribution center today. Two carried water, while the third transported a mix of rice, beans, wipes, and LifeStraw — a portable water filtration device designed to provide clean and safe drinking water in areas with limited access. Furthermore, we distributed 500 blankets from Project Hope to displaced individuals in Mawasi-Rafah and informal shelters near Rafah City.
Under the UN OCHA WASH project, we have installed 22 water tanks in the Al Mawasi area in Rafah. This area, housing many displaced people in makeshift tents, now receives a daily supply of 60,000 liters of water, benefiting 20,000 individuals. Each water tank was strategically placed to ensure that each person receives 3 liters of potable water per day.
Our ongoing healthcare initiatives for displaced families in Gaza persist, exemplified by today’s provision of two free health days. Notably, we achieved a significant milestone by expanding our medical services with the addition of an endocrinologist to our medical team.
February 28, 2024
Six out of Anera’s seven tekias (community kitchens) were in operation today, making a total of 105,300 meal servings.
- Qatari Camp tekia in Rafah: 34,500 hot meals
- Rafah Crossing tekia: 13,500 hot meals
- UN log base tekia in Rafah: 16,500 hot meals
- Middle area tekia: 10,000 hot meals, 6,300 fresh flatbreads
- Mawasi, Khan Younis tekia: 4,500 hot meals
- Jabalia tekia: 20,000 hot meals
Anera’s Gaza team also distributed 2,225 blankets and 100 mattresses from Project Hope to displaced people in Khan Younis and Rafah.
Later in the day yesterday, our staff in Gaza successfully delivered food aid to displaced people in Gaza City. Two trucks of aid donated by GEM included 580 10-kilogram bags of macaroni, 400 five-liter bottles of cooking oil, 81 50-kilogram bags of flour, and 3,168 1.5-liter bottles of water.
February 27, 2024
Today, we provided 132,969 meals in Gaza, including hot meals, bread and fresh produce. Five of our six community kitchens under our Tekia program were operational. Our tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 34,500 hot meals; the Rafah crossing kitchen cooked 13,500 meals; the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah served meals to 16,500 people; our middle area kitchen catered to 10,000 people and baked 6,300 loaves of bread; and our tekia in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis prepared 4,500 meals. Also, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed potato stew to 20,000 people. We also distributed 1,000 fresh produce baskets to the middle area and Rafah, providing produce for 42,900 meals.
We also distributed 23,256 1.5-liter water bottles to displaced people in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis and Rafah. And we provided 50 mattresses donated by Project HOPE to individuals residing in informal shelters within Rafah.
Anera again hosted two field health clinic days today. At yesterday’s clinic sessions our team took blood pressure readings for a number of patients and found hypertension in an alarming number of people with no previous diagnosis or history of the condition.
Also today, we received a total of eight trucks – six transporting blankets donated by Project HOPE and two carrying flour, diapers, sanitary pads, and wipes. The food items were provided by Global Empowerment Mission and other materials were donated by Project HOPE.
February 26, 2024
Five of our six tekias (community kitchens) were in operation today, delivering 34,500 hot meals from the Qatari tekia, 13,500 meals from the Rafah crossing tekia, 16,500 meals from the UN log base tekia in Rafah, 10,800 meals and 3,600 flatbreads from the middle area tekia and, from our newest tekia in Mawasi, Khan Younis, 9,000 meals. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia distributed a meal consisting of potato and tomato sauce with a side of rice to 20,000 people.
In conjunction with food distribution efforts, our Gaza team distributed 1,300 fresh produce baskets, providing a total of 42,900 meals to families in need. In total, Anera provided 147,754 meals today, encompassing hot meals, bread, and fresh produce.
Anera received three trucks at our distribution center carrying various essential items, including menstrual pads, wipes, diapers, and blankets from Project Hope, along with flour from GEM. Our team distributed 100 mattresses from Project Hope to individuals residing in tent shelters within Rafah. And, with support from Muslim Aid, Anera finalized the distribution of 1,100 winter clothes to 200 families in the north.
Anera’s health team in Gaza implemented two free healthcare days in Mawasi, Khan Younis, focusing on promoting health and wellbeing among the community.
And, finally, both crossings into Gaza were open today, facilitating aid transport. Anera now has 12 trucks in the Gaza customs yard, primarily transporting water, flour, and blankets.
February 25, 2024
Anera’s Gaza team coordinated the distribution of 157,400 meals today in the form of hot food, fresh bread, fruits and vegetables. Our six tekias (community kitchens) in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area made 100,400 hot meals. At our middle area tekia our teams also made 3,600 flatbreads. Anera continued supplying a kitchen in Jabalia, in the north of Gaza, with food to make potato stew for 20,000 people. Our team also distributed enough fresh produce from Gaza farms to make 33,000 meal servings.
Our Gaza colleagues additionally distributed 4,800 1.5-liter water bottles to informal shelters in Rafah. The water was provided by our partner GEM. And the team provided 150 mattresses from our partner Project Hope to displaced families residing in tents Rafah.
February 24, 2024
Today, we distributed a total of 168,500 meals, including both hot meals and fresh produce for preparing meals. All of our six community kitchens under our Tekia program were operational, and they prepared a variety of meals, including green beans with tomato sauce and rice, lentil soup, and macaroni. The tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 34,500 hot meals, the Rafah crossing tekia cooked 13,500 meals, the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah served meals to 16,500 people, the middle area tekia catered to 9,000 people and also baked 4,500 loaves of bread; the first Khan Younis tekia contributed 16,500 meals, and the tekia in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis prepared 9,000 meals. Our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed a meal consisting of potatoes and tomato sauce with rice to 20,000 people. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets.
Additionally, today we distributed 300 mattresses donated by Project HOPE to informal shelters in Rafah and Al Mawasi, Khan Younis.
Today we have so far received seven trucks loaded with water bottles donated by Global Empowerment Mission. Our Gaza team plan to deliver and distribute them directly to informal shelters in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis. We expect to soon receive another four trucks of bottled water.
February 23, 2024
Today, all of our six tekias (community kitchens) were operational. They prepared a variety of meals, including green beans with tomato sauce and rice, lentil soup, and macaroni. The tekia near the Qatari Camp provided 34,500 hot meals, the Rafah crossing tekia cooked 13,500, the one at the UN log base in Rafah served 16,500 meals, the middle area tekia catered to 9,000 people and also baked 4,500 flatbreads, the Khan Younis tekia distributed 16,500 meals, and our newest tekia in Mawasi, Khan Younis prepared 9,000 meals. Our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed meals consisting of potato and tomato sauce with rice to 20,000 people. Anera distributed a total of 119,000 hot meals today.
We received five trucks, two carrying mattresses from Project Hope and three carrying water bottles from GEM.
Additionally, we distributed non-food items supplied by UNICEF, which included 300 packs of diapers, and 300 Project Hope mattresses to informal shelters in Rafah.
February 22, 2024
Today, all six of our tekias (community kitchens) were fully operational across Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. They diligently prepared a diverse array of meals, ranging from green beans with tomato sauce and rice to lentil soup and macaroni. Notably, our tekia in the middle area was able to bake 4,500 loaves of bread. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north provided meals consisting of potato and tomato sauce with rice to 20,000 individuals.
In tandem with our food initiatives, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets — 500 each to Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area. Altogether, our efforts culminated in the provision of 168,500 meals today, encompassing both hot meals and fresh produce.
Furthermore, Anera’s Gaza staff facilitated two health days in the vicinity of our Tekias in Rafah, providing free medical checks and medicine for displaced families.
Today, we received a total of 11 trucks at our warehouse. Eight of these trucks were loaded with mattresses, while one truck transported flour, another carried pasta, and the remaining one was filled with a mixture of water and flour. Notably, five of the trucks laden with mattresses were generously provided by Project Hope, aiding in the transportation of 1,008 mattresses to individuals facing significant needs.
In addition to food provisions, we distributed essential non-food items provided by UNICEF. This included 2,600 packs of diapers, which were allocated to informal shelters in Rafah and Mawasi-Khan Younis, addressing critical needs beyond sustenance.
February 21, 2024
Delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza faces escalating challenges. Over the past two weeks, the flow of supplies into Gaza has ground to a halt, with aid trucks barred from entry due to Israeli ground and air operations in Rafah. This blockade has hindered the delivery of essential cooking ingredients and supplies to our Takias. Consequently, some of our Takias may need to suspend operations in the coming days. It is imperative that aid be permitted to enter Gaza without restrictions, accompanied by assurances of safety for humanitarian aid workers, supplies, and civilians in need of assistance amid hostilities. Innocent people are starving.
Today, only five of our Tekias were operational across Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area, offering a variety of hot meals such as green beans with tomato sauce and rice, lentil soup, and macaroni. Unfortunately, our newest Tekia in Mawasi-Khan Younis was unable to prepare meals due to insufficient supplies. However, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north successfully distributed a meal consisting of potato and tomato sauce with rice to 20,000 people. In addition, as part of our food interventions, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets, allocating 500 each to Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area. Overall, we provided a total of 159,500 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce.
Furthermore, we distributed non-food items provided by UNICEF, including 1,500 diaper packs to informal shelters in Rafah and 48 cartons of menstrual pads (each containing 12 packs) to Rafah crossing camp.
Anera also conducted two health days today, catering to approximately 700 tents/families in Mawasi-Khan Younis.
February 20, 2024
Today, Anera again provided 161,300 meals across Gaza, including both hot meals and fresh produce for meal preparation. All of our kitchens were operating and distributing meals in the same locations detailed yesterday.
With support from Humanity First, we hosted two field health clinics today in Khan Younis.
We also distributed 3,000 packs of diapers today at informal shelters for the displaced in Rafah and Khan Younis. This distribution was made possible because, in addition to the two trucks mentioned in our update yesterday, last night we received one additional truck with more diapers from UNICEF.
February 19, 2024
We provided 161,300 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. The six community kitchens comprising our Tekia program were all operating. The kitchen near the Qatari Camp served 34,500 hot meals; the Rafah crossing tekia cooked 13,500 meals; our kitchen at the UN logistics base in Rafah served 16,500 people; the middle area tekia served 6,000 people; our Khan Younis kitchen contributed 16,500 meals, and our tekia in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis supplied 4,800 meals. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed cooked rice to 20,000 people. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area, supplying ingredients to prepare 49,500 meals.
Today, we’ve received two UNICEF trucks carrying diapers and menstrual pads. In Gaza, the simple act of changing a diaper has become a luxury due to the soaring prices of essential supplies. The cost of a pack of diapers has seen a significant increase, posing a considerable challenge for parents with young children. Before the war, a pack of diapers ranged from $3.50 to $4.50, but currently, they are being sold at $54. This inflated price makes it impossible for displaced parents without income to afford diapers or fulfill even basic necessities for their children.
Given the shortages, some parents are using cloth as diapers, which requires water for washing, a resource that is also scarce. Others are resorting to reusing diapers by taping them together which causes rashes and infections. Parents who cannot find diapers or alternatives are coping by changing their children’s clothes frequently and washing them when and if water is available.
February 18, 2024
Logistical challenges hindering the importation of aid into Gaza continue. Recent Israeli military strikes on Palestinian police officers escorting aid convoys have forced a halt to truck movements. To allow for the resumption of aid convoys, assurances must be urgently provided that no further airstrikes will be conducted on the crossings.
We provided 156,300 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. All six of our tekias served hot meals today: the community kitchen near the Qatari Camp served 34,500 hot meals; the Rafah crossing tekia cooked 13,500 meals; the kitchen at the UN logistics base in Rafah provided meals for 16,500 people; the middle area tekia served 6,000 people; the Khan Younis tekia contributed 16,500 meals; and our tekia in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis served 4,800 meals. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed cooked rice to 15,000 people. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area providing ingredients to prepare 49,500 meals.
February 17, 2024
We have not yet received any supplies at the distribution center for a number of days due to the closure of the inspection point in Israel last week. Currently, there is a significant backlog of over 1,200 trucks awaiting entry. The majority of our trucks carrying essential aid are now stationed at the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) inspection point, awaiting clearance to cross. Unfortunately, this process may take a few days to complete.
Despite the logistical challenges that we are actively working through, our aid delivery continues. We provided 156,300 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. Today, the six community kitchens that form our Tekia program were able to deliver hot meals. The tekia near the Qatari Camp produced 34,500 hot meals; the Rafah crossing kitchen cooked 13,500 meals; the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah prepared meals for 16,500 people; the middle area kitchen served 6,000 people; the Khan Younis tekia contributed 16,500 meals; and our newest kitchen in Mawasi, Khan Younis supplied 4,800 meals. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed a rice meal to at least 15,000 people. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets to Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area with ingredients to prepare 49,500 meals.
February 16, 2024
Anera provided 106,800 hot meals today. Our six community kitchens in our Tekia program prepared lentil soup, lentils and rice, and macaroni meals for pickup at our six locations: near the Qatari Camp; at the Rafah crossing; at the UN logistics base in Rafah; in the middle area; and at two locations in Khan Younis, including our newest tekia in Al Mawasi. And our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed a rice meals.
It is important to note that we were unable to provide additional aid today as our distribution center is currently depleted of supplies.
February 15, 2024
As the situation in Rafah worsens, humanitarian aid trucks at the Egypt-Gaza border have come to a stand-still. Ongoing security challenges, exacerbated by Israeli military operations, hinder the delivery of essential aid. With people in Gaza growing increasingly desperate for food and water, the need for immediate assistance is critical.
Despite these challenges, Anera is actively working to overcome obstacles. Currently, two of our trucks at the Egypt-Gaza border are in the process of crossing, while an additional four trucks are patiently waiting in queue for clearance. Additionally, there are five trucks awaiting entry into the queue. All of these trucks are slated to deliver vital supplies to our warehouse, where they will be distributed to those in urgent need.
Today, our six Tekias in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area prepared a variety of meals, including spaghetti, lentil soup, lentils and rice, as well as green and white beans served with rice. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia in the north distributed rice meals to 20,000 people. Through our food interventions, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets, with 500 allocated each to Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. In total, we provided 161,300 meals today, comprising both hot meals and fresh produce.
Our nutritionist documented the pre-war weights of internally displaced people (IDPs) and compared them with their current weights, revealing that 100% of those served experienced a decrease in body weight, with an average reduction of 11%.
Furthermore, our Gaza staff distributed 125 UNICEF boxes filled with winter clothes in Al Mawasi-Khan Younis, with each box sufficient for a family of six.
Yesterday, we successfully organized two free health days in Al Mawasi-Khan Younis, assisting 600 individuals during this intervention.
February 14, 2024
As a result of the turmoil caused by Israel’s military operations in and around Rafah, humanitarian aid trucks have been halted at the Egypt-Gaza border. Regrettably, due to this disruption, Anera did not receive any trucks in Gaza today.
Despite this reality, today, our six Tekias (community kitchens) diligently prepared a variety of meals, including spaghetti, lentil soup, lentils and rice, sweet potatoes, as well as green and white beans served with rice across Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. Additionally, our kitchen in Jabalia, located in the north, distributed rice meals to 15,000 individuals. As part of our food aid interventions, we also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets to communities in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. In total, we provided 153,000 meals today, encompassing both hot meals and fresh produce.
Furthermore, our dedicated Gaza staff successfully distributed 300 UNICEF boxes filled with winter clothing in Rafah, with each box equipped to support a family of six.
In parallel, our psychosocial support (PSS) activities were conducted today at Kuwait School in Rafah, engaging 170 children. Among them were 87 boys and 83 girls, with six children coping with war-related injuries, nine with disabilities, and seven who tragically lost family members.
February 13, 2024
The situation in Rafah continues to worsen, as over one million people find themselves trapped between the looming threat of an Israeli ground operation and relentless bombings. The vast majority have been displaced multiple times and have nowhere else to seek refuge. Everyone is terrified of what will come.
Our teams in the West Bank, Egypt, and Jordan are steadfastly providing logistical support and procuring humanitarian aid for our colleagues in Gaza. Despite facing cumbersome and illogical routes imposed on humanitarian aid, trucks persist in making their way to Gaza. Four trucks loaded with tents, mattresses, and miscellaneous goods, along with 20 water trucks, are currently en route. Among them, an additional 17 trucks are transporting mattresses, food supplies, blankets, and essential hygiene products to Gaza.
Today, our distribution center in Gaza received two UNICEF trucks loaded with winter clothes, each sufficient for a family of six. Thankfully, our dedicated team in Gaza promptly commenced the distribution of warm clothing and hygiene kits to families still sheltering in the north. A total of 150 UNICEF boxes, each containing winter clothes for a family of six, were successfully distributed.
Additionally, our six Tekias (community kitchens) across Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area prepared a variety of meals, ranging from spaghetti to lentil soup, and green and white beans served with rice. Our kitchen in Jabalia, located in the north, distributed rice meals to 15,000 people. Fresh produce baskets were also distributed to displaced families in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. Overall, our Gaza staff provided 151,500 meals today, encompassing both hot meals and fresh produce, as part of our ongoing humanitarian efforts.
Our psychosocial support (PSS) activities in Rafah engaged 149 children, including 78 boys and 71 girls. Among them were seven children with war-related injuries, six with disabilities, and six who have tragically lost family members.
February 12, 2024
Our Gaza team reported that the attacks on Rafah last night were deeply distressing. The situation in Rafah is deteriorating, and they anticipate further decline in the coming days. They emphasized the lack of safe spaces and the fear among the people in Rafah, forcing a significant number of them to seek refuge and relocate to the middle area in response to the escalating circumstances.
Our distribution center is facing a shortage of supplies due to a five-day closure of the inspection points for incoming trucks, preventing humanitarian aid into Gaza. Although the inspection points reopened two days ago, the supplies have not yet arrived yet due to the backlog of trucks awaiting entry at Rafah crossing.
Despite the challenging conditions, though, they have continued to provide aid. Our three tekias – community kitchens – in Rafah served 61,500 displaced people, our two tekias in Khan Younis served 15,000 and our tekia in the middle area served 6,000. We also provided food to a kitchen in Jabalia which served a rice meal to 15,000 people. The team distributed enough fresh produce baskets to make 49,500 meal servings. In total, Anera provided 147,000 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce.
Psychosocial activities took place at an informal shelter in Rafah, involving 176 children.
February 11, 2024
A report from our staff in Gaza: The dire circumstances in Rafah and northern Gaza continue to worsen daily. Reports from the north paint a grim picture of widespread starvation, including the deaths of children due to hunger. In Rafah, pressure mounts to relocate to Deir Al Balah, but logistical challenges hinder any meaningful movement.
Bombings persist in the south, prompting our staff to remain poised to move swiftly if the situation gets too dangerous.
The flow of essential supplies remains severely restricted, with only around 50 trucks entering Gaza daily over the past few days – far below what is needed.
Anera’s three tekias (community kitchens) in Rafah, two in Khan Younis and one in the middle area served 81,000 displaced people hot meals. The team provided food to a kitchen in Jabalia, in the north, which served 15,000 people a rice meal. Anera also distributed enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area to make 49,500 meal servings. In total, Anera’s Gaza team provided 151,500 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce.
We also distributed 80 UNICEF tarps for tents at informal shelters in Rafah.
Despite the ongoing bombings in the Khan Younis, the Gaza health team successfully coordinated two free healthcare events today, benefitting 480 displaced people. In an expansion of our services, we have incorporated a new specialization into our team. A nutritionist is on hand to assess people’s weight and also to provide guidance to women with malnourished children on preparing healthy meals for their families using the food items they have already received through humanitarian aid.
We received another four trucks from UNICEF today and also hosted a psychosocial event for children at a Rafah shelter.
February 10, 2024
“An escalation of the fighting in Rafah, which is already straining under the extraordinary number of people who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza, will mark another devastating turn in a war that has reportedly killed over 27,000 people – most of them women and children. Thousands more could die in the violence or by lack of essential services, and further disruption of humanitarian assistance.”
— Catherine Russell, UNICEF
We provided 151,500 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. All six of our Tekia program’s community kitchens were operating today. Our kitchen near the Qatari Camp made 33,000 hot meals, and the one at the Rafah crossing cooked 12,000 meals. The tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah provided meals for 18,000 people; the tekia in the middle area served 6,000 people; the kitchen in Khan Younis provided 12,000 meals; and our new Tekia in Mawasi Khan Younis provided 6,000 meals. In northern Gaza, our kitchen in Jabalia provided 15,000 people with a rice meal. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets today in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area, providing ingredients to make 49,500 meals.
We distributed 40 boxes of warm winter clothes and 200 tarps for tents today at informal shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis. These items were provided by UNICEF. We have also begun distributing winter clothes and hygiene kits in the north (details to come). We also held two field health clinic days today in Rafah, in the Musabeh area (more details tomorrow).
We conducted a previously unreported psychosocial support activity session on Thursday (for 206 children) and two more sessions today (involving 194 children at Beer Sabi School and 193 children at Shafa Amro School).
February 9, 2024
Exciting news: our Gaza team opened up Anera’s 6th tekia (community kitchen). It’s in Mawasi, Khan Younis. Now two kitchens are located in Khan Younis, three are in Rafah and on is in the middle area. This expansion is important in Khan Younis, because it is in a densely populated area with a large number of displaced people. The demand for Anera’s tekias is very high and we intend to open more.
In total our community kitchens served hot meals to 81,000 displaced people. We also provided food for a kitchen in Jabalia, in the north, serving 20,000.
We also distributed UNICEF non-food items including 50 hygiene kits that have enough supplies for a family of six, and 100 boxes filled with warm winter clothes at informal shelters in Rafah.
February 8, 2024
Despite encountering shortages and obstacles hindering the flow of humanitarian aid, our committed Gaza staff continues to deliver essential food assistance. Today, we distributed a total of 139,500 meals, comprising both hot meals and fresh produce. Hot meals were dispensed at our takias (community kitchens) in Rafah, Khan Younis, Gaza’s middle area and Jabalia in the north. Additionally, fresh produce baskets were provided to displaced families in Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza’s middle area.
In addition, we distributed UNICEF non-food items, including 500 hygiene kits designed to accommodate a family of six, 200 boxes containing warm winter clothes, and 200 tarps intended for use in makeshift shelters located in Rafah, Al Mawasi and Khan Younis.
Regrettably, today saw the blockade of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza, as the Kerem Shalom crossing remained closed. Ongoing protests in Israel further obstructed the delivery of much-needed aid to Gaza, compounded by Israeli ground operations in Rafah.
February 7, 2024
Our five tekias – community kitchens – made hot meals today in the form of green beans, lentils soup, rice, lentils, and macaroni. The three in Rafah served 57,000 people, the one in the middle area served 6,000, and the one in Khan Younis provided 12,000 servings. We also supported a kitchen in Jabalia in the north, serving 15,000 people with a rice meal. The team also distributed enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area to make 49,500 meal servings. In total, Anera provided 139,500 meal servings today.
The Gaza team also distributed UNICEF items, including 150 boxes filled with warm winter clothes, 250 hygiene kits, and 250 tarps for tents at informal shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis.
We received three UNICEF trucks between last night and today carrying winter clothes, hygiene kits, and medical supplies.
Psychosocial activities took place at a school in Rafah, engaging 165 children in sports and storytelling sessions.
February 6, 2024
Today, we served or delivered 139,500 meals, including both hot meals and fresh produce. All five of our community kitchens through our Tekia program operated today, preparing meals that included green beans, white beans, lentils soup, rice and lentils and macaroni. Our community kitchen near the Qatari Camp prepared 30,000 hot meals; the one at the Rafah crossing cooked 12,000 meals; the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah served meals for 15,000 individuals; and the kitchen in the middle area served 6,000 people. Today, we were also able to restart our Khan Younis tekia and serve 12,000 meals. The new kitchen is located near the previous one but in a safer location, allowing us to continue providing hot meals to the people in Al Mawasi, Khan Younis.
We continue to extend our distributions of hot rice meals in Jabalia, in the north. Rice is the only ingredient we can obtain in the area at the moment as no food from the aid operations in the south is able to reach the north. We provided 15,000 people with a rice meal today. Along with our hot meal distributions, we also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets today in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, supplying ingredients to make 49,500 meals.
We also distributed aid provided by UNICEF today at informal shelters in Al Mawasi (both the Rafah and Khan Younis sides), including 200 boxes of warm winter clothes, 250 hygiene kits, 70 boxes of soap (48 bars per box), 100 boxes of menstrual pads (with 12 packages per box), 270 blankets and 300 tarps for tents.
February 5, 2024
Anera’s four community kitchens (tekias) in Rafah prepared a variety of dishes, serving a total of 63,000 people. In Jabalia, Anera provided 15,000 people with an onion and spice rice meal. The team also distributed enough fresh produce to make 49,500 meal servings in the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. In total, Anera provided 127,500 meal servings today.
We also continue to distribute winter items provided by UNICEF. Today, the team delivered 300 boxes filled with warm winter clothes to protect children from the harsh weather conditions as well as 600 blankets and 800 tarps for tents at informal shelters in the Mawasi area of Rafah and Khan Younis.
At a Rafah shelter, our psychosocial activities today engaged 112 children in storytelling, parachute exercises, counseling, interactive games and sports, music, and singing.
February 4, 2024
Some 1.4 million people are now crammed into Rafah, Gaza’s smallest governorate, and they now face increased attacks from Israeli forces. Learn more about Gaza’s geography, read “How big is Gaza?“.
Anera’s four tekias (community kitchens) prepared different dishes that included a mix of green beans, lentils soup, rice and lentils and macaroni meals. Three tekias in Rafah served 57,000 people and the one in the middle area served 6,000. At our tekia at the UN log base in Rafah, the team was able to bake 4,500 flatbreads. We also continue to extend our reach in Jabalia in the north, where we provided 15,000 people with an onion and spice rice meal today. Unfortunately, rice is all that is available currently in the north right now.
In addition to hot meals, the team also coordinated distribution of enough fresh produce to make 49,500 meal servings in the middle area, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Anera provided total of 127,500 meal servings today.
We also continued distributing winter clothes provided by UNICEF: 100 boxes filled with warm winter clothes for children went out to families in Rafah. And the team distributed 100 tarps for tents at informal shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah.
At a Rafah shelter, our psychosocial activities today engaged 138 children in storytelling, parachute exercises, counseling, interactive games and sports, music, and singing.
February 3, 2024
Today we distributed a total of 127,500 meals, including both hot meals and fresh produce. Through our Tekia program, our community kitchen near the Qatari Camp prepared 30,000 hot meals; the kitchen at the Rafah crossing cooked 12,000 meals of green beans and lentil soup; the tekia at the UN logistics base in Rafah served macaroni and lentil soup for 15,000 individuals; and our kitchen in the middle area served lentil soup, rice, and lentil meals to 6,000 people. In northern Gaza, we served 15,000 people today with a rice meal in Jabalia. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets today to Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, providing ingredients for a total of 49,500 meals.
As temperatures continue to drop and the rainfall persists in Gaza, we are intensifying our efforts to secure shelter for people by distributing winterization items provided by UNICEF. Today, this involved providing 300 boxes of winter clothes for children to families. This clothing includes boots, jackets, scarves, hats, warm winter underclothes, sweaters, pants, and more in a full range of sizes for infants to teenagers. We also distributed 300 blankets and 600 tarps for tents, offering protection for 600 families living in tents from the rain. We distributed these items at an informal shelter in Al Mawasi, in Rafah.
Today, we hosted psychosocial support activities at a school shelter in Rafah, engaging a total of 157 children. The activities included interactive games, physical sports and exercises, storytelling, parachute games, as well as consultations for parents.
Our health team in Gaza also conducted two free field clinics near an informal settlement of displaced families today. They were able to treat 468 people with medical advice and healthcare supplies.
February 2, 2024
Anera is delivering food to displaced, hungry families in Gaza through community kitchens we’re calling tekia (takiat, takiyya, tkiya), based on a beautifully simple concept that began almost 10 centuries ago. These centers flourished during the Ottoman era. The Ottomans established community kitchens, housed in buildings for the purpose, throughout the empire from the 14th through 19th centuries. They provided free food to everyone, rich and poor. Learn more.
Our tekia near the Qatari Camp served 30,000 hot meals, our Rafah crossing tekia served 12,000 meals, the one at the UN log base served 15,000 and, in the middle area, our tekia served 6,000 people. The Anera team also supported a kitchen in Jabalia to serve 10,000 people. At one of the kitchens today, chefs were able to make rice pudding, a very special treat. Today, the Gaza team provided a total of 73,000 hot meal servings.
We also distributed 150 tarps for tents, enough to shield 600 families/tents from the rain.
February 1, 2024
Today, three community kitchens efficiently prepared meals to address pressing needs, with one Tekia serving 30,000 people near the Qatari Camp, another providing meals for 12,000 at Rafah crossing, and the third catering to 15,000 at the UN log base in Rafah.
Despite formidable challenges in Jabalia, Anera has launched hot meal distribution, delivering rice meals to 10,000 people in North Gaza. Additionally, 1,500 fresh produce baskets were distributed to further support the community.
These combined efforts resulted in the provision of 122,500 meals today, encompassing both nourishing hot meals and fresh produce.
To improve living conditions for those in need, seven trucks from UNICEF arrived, carrying winter clothes and tarps.
The health team implemented two free health days in Rafah near the Kerem Shalom crossing, covering an area that houses 400 tents. Anera treated 755 people.
Psychosocial support (PSS) activities took place at Rafah Basic School, engaging 240 children with diverse backgrounds and needs, including disabilities, war injuries, and family loss. The activities featured storytelling, music, games, competitions, and physical exercises.
January 31, 2024
A note on UNRWA: The suspension in funding to UNRWA, the primary agency coordinating relief efforts in Gaza, pose a significant threat to addressing the humanitarian crisis there. With over three-quarters of the population displaced and 80% experiencing famine or catastrophic hunger, the reduction in funds may lead to a total breakdown of already limited humanitarian assistance. Anera, along with other humanitarian organizations, urges reconsideration of the funding suspensions to prevent deepening the grave humanitarian crisis impacting 2.3 million people in Gaza.
Anera served a total of 112,500 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. Four of our tekias (community kitchens) – three in Rafah and one in the middle area – were operational, preparing 63,000 hot meal servings that consisted of macaroni and green beans with rice or lentil soup and rice and lentils. The team also distributed enough fresh produce to make 49,500 meals.
Three UNICEF trucks arrived at our distribution center today carrying blankets, medical supplies and tarps for tents to protect from the rain and wind.
We also conducted psychosocial support activities at a school in Rafah for 184 children. The activities included music, storytelling, recreational activities, interactive games and sports.
January 30, 2024
We served a total of 112,500 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce. Four of our community kitchens in our Tekia program were operational today, preparing hot meals consisting of macaroni and green beans with rice or lentil soup and rice and lentils. The kitchen operating near the Qatari Camp served 30,000 people with hot meals; at Rafah crossing, our kitchen provided a hot meal for 12,000 people; our kitchen at the UN logistics base in Rafah prepared meals for 15,000 people; and our community kitchen in the middle area served lentil soup and rice and lentil meals to 6,000 people.
We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets today in Rafah and the middle area, supplying ingredients sufficient for 49,500 meals.
We also conducted psychosocial support activities at a school in Rafah for 124 children. The activities included music, storytelling, recreational activities, interactive games and sports.
January 29, 2024
Today three of our tekias (community kitchens) prepared macaroni, green beans and rice meals. The kitchen near the Qatari Camp provided a hot meal to serve 33,000 people. The tekia at the Rafah crossing provided a hot meal servings for 12,000 people, and the tekia at the UN log base in Rafah prepared green beans with rice and macaroni meals, serving 16,500 people. The tekia in the middle area served lentil soup and rice and lentil meals to 6,000 people. The Gaza team also distributed in Rafah and the middle area enough fresh produce to make 49,500 meal servings. In total, Anera provided 117,000 meal servings today.
With support from Humanity First USA, and medical donations from Direct Relief and IHP, our health team conducted two mobile health days in Mawasi and Khan Younis today. The collective impact of our two free medical points resulted in providing 780 displaced people with health treatments.
Today, the team delivered psychosocial activities at one shelter in Rafah, involving 340 children.
January 28, 2024
Today four of Anera’s tekias (or community kitchens) prepared hot meals. Three made lentil soup and lentil and rice meals and the fourth made green beans with rice and macaroni meals. The three tekias in Rafah distributed 61,500 servings and the one in the middle area served 6,000 people. Unfortunately, there was no flour available today so we were unable to bake bread. No food interventions happened in Khan Younis due to the unsafe conditions there.
The Gaza team also distributed enough fresh produce today in Rafah and the middle area to make 49,500 meal servings.
Today, we received three trucks from UNICEF. Two were loaded with winter clothes for 7-year-olds, while the third contained a mix of blankets, winter clothes, and tarps to cover tents.
With support from Humanity First USA and donations of medicines from Direct Relief and IHP, and despite the rainy weather, our Gaza medical team successfully delivered a mobile health day in the Jenena area of Rafah. Well over 400 patients came to get medical advice and treatments. Anera hired four doctors, who were in attendance, including a dentist.
Psychosocial activities took place at a school in Rafah, involving 112 children.
January 27, 2024
It’s cold and rainy today in Gaza. Our team says the conditions in the informal camps and the circumstances people are living in are heartbreaking. More tents and other shelter supplies are desperately needed.
Today we distributed a total of 118,500 meals, including both hot meals and fresh produce. We had four active community kitchens through our Tekia program that prepared hot meals of lentil soup, green beans with rice and macaroni, and lentil and rice dishes. The operational kitchens today were in the Qatari Camp, near the Rafah crossing, in the middle area, and near the UN offices in Rafah. In addition to our hot meal distributions, we distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets today in Rafah and the middle area, providing raw ingredients to prepare a total of 49,500 meals.
Unfortunately, there was no flour available today so we were unable to bake bread. We could not distribute any food in Khan Younis due to the ongoing military operations.
Despite the rainy weather, we also conducted two free health clinic days today in Rafah, in Al Zohor area. Today we added dental care to the clinic treatment capacities, providing care for gum and teeth infections, pain killers and toothbrushes and toothpaste for children.
January 26, 2024
Four of the five Anera tekias (community kitchens) prepared lentil soup and rice-and-lentil meals. The kitchen near the Qatari camp in Rafah served 30,000 displaced people, the Rafah crossing kitchen served 12,000, the UN Logbase kitchen in Rafah served 15,000 displaced people, and in the middle area our tekias served 5,400 people. The kitchen in Khan Younis was not operational today due to the unsafe situation on the ground. The Gaza team provided a total of 62,400 hot meal servings today.
With support from Humanity First USA, the Anera team in Gaza coordinated our sixth community health day. The event took place in Rafah in a shelter housing 135 tents with at least 200 families. There are some 1,500 displaced people in the shelter. Our services reached 350 people with free treatments of medicines and consultations with doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
In collaboration with WFP, UNICEF and UNFPA, the Gaza team also distributed a wide variety of essentials to meet the needs of displaced families, including 575 WFP food parcels, kits containing soaps and other hygiene products, 1,150 blankets and durable tarps and 1,150 menstrual hygiene kits. This joint distribution event successfully addressed the food, hygiene, and winterization needs of some 575 families at an informal shelter in Mawasi Rafah.
January 25, 2024
Today, we successfully served 111,900 meals in Rafah and Gaza’s middle area, offering both hot meals and fresh produce, featuring lentil soup and rice and lentil dishes. Unfortunately, hot meal distribution in Khan Younis was hindered by Israeli ground operations, and the absence of flour impacted bread baking in all our takias (community kitchens).
Anera’s Gaza team received crucial aid, including a World Food Program truck with ready-to-eat food parcels and four trucks from World Central Kitchen delivering smart palettes, supporting our takias.
In addition to food distributions, our Gaza team conducted essential psychosocial support (PSS) activities at Tal Sultan School shelter in Rafah. Engaging 309 children, including 31 injured, 3 with disabilities, and 28 who experienced family loss, PSS activities encompassed parachute exercises, singing, sports, group competitions, and storytelling, offering comfort and support to the affected children.
We also conducted a successful free medical day in Rafah, and we plan to extend these services to the middle area soon. 800 patients were treated during this medical day.
January 24, 2024
At our three tekia (community kitchens) in Rafah and one in the middle area, our Gaza team coordinated the preparation and distribution of mjadara and lentil soup, serving 62,400 displaced people. At two of the tekias in Rafah, women made 9,000 flatbreads. Anera also distributed enough fresh produce today in Rafah and the middle area to make 49,500 meal servings.
The team was sadly unable to carry out any food interventions today in Khan Younis, because of the unsafe conditions arising from ground hostilities.
Our Rafah distribution center received two trucks from UNICEF. One is stocked with soap and plastic cover sheets, which can be used to prevent rainwater from seeping into tents. The second is carrying a supply of blankets.
Psychosocial activities took place at a school shelter in Rafah, with 390 children participating. Activities included interactive games, storytelling, physical exercises, and singing.
To commemorate the International Day of Education, we shared this series on our social media channels. Check it out on Instagram.
January 23, 2024
“On 22 January, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that Israeli forces had surrounded their ambulance headquarters in Khan Younis; restricting ambulances from providing support in the area. Reportedly, Israeli forces struck the vicinity of Al Amal hospital and the ambulance headquarters, as intense fighting continued in the area, including dozens of casualties. Patients, wounded people and an estimated 13,000 displaced people who have taken shelter in Al Amal Hospital and the PRCS headquarters were unable to leave. According to humanitarian partners on the ground, people in the vicinity and Al Kheir area east of Al Mawasi have lost access to the health facility and have no alternatives for medical assistance in the area.” — UN OCHA Flash Update #99
We served a total of 96,000 meals today, including both hot meals and fresh produce, and complemented by the baking of 9,000 loaves of bread. The operational capacity of our tekia program was limited to four community kitchens today, primarily due to ongoing ground operations in Khan Younis. The kitchen located near the Qatari Camp in Rafah prepared meals to serve 30,000 individuals, with the women there successfully baking 4,500 loaves of bread. The kitchen at Rafah crossing provided hot meals to 12,000 people, the kitchen at the UN Logbase in Rafah served 15,000 individuals along with baking 4,500 loaves of bread, and the community kitchen in the middle area contributed to 6,000 meals.
We also distributed a total of 1,000 baskets of fresh produce today to Rafah and the middle area — ensuring enough produce to prepare 33,000 meals. Unfortunately, distribution activities in Khan Younis were hindered today due to the ongoing ground operations.
We also provided shelter assistance by distributing 500 Project Hope blankets to displaced people residing in informal shelters in Mawasi Rafah. We did not conduct any psychosocial support activities today due to the cold and rainy weather.
January 22, 2024
From October 7, 2023 to January 21, 2024, at least 25,105 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and 62,681 Palestinians were injured. Continued hostilities, disruptions in healthcare services, lack of access to food and clean water, and poor sanitation conditions remain major challenges and contribute to the risk of famine in Gaza. Read more from the latest flash update on the situation in Gaza from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today, all five of Anera’s tekias (community kitchens) prepared lentil soup and mjadara (rice and lentils) meals; however, no bread was baked today because of low flour stocks. The three tekias in Rafah distributed 57,000 meals servings, the tekia in Khan Younis served 12,000 people and the tekia in the middle area served 6,000 people.
The Gaza team also distributed enough fresh produce across Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area to make 49,500 meal servings. They distributed 300 food parcels from WFP, providing enough ready-to-eat food for 10,045 meal servings.
Our Gaza colleagues coordinated the distribution of 500 boxes of baby formula from UNICEF. Each box contained 24 bottles of milk, enough to feed a baby for an eight-day period. The team also distributed 300 blankets from Project Hope.
We received one truck today from Direct Relief carrying 28 pallets of healthcare supplies and medicines.
Psychosocial activities reached 287 children in a Rafah shelter. They participated in puppet shows, drawing sessions, singing, interactive physical games and competitions.
January 21, 2024
Yesterday, our Gaza team opened Anera’s fifth tekia (community kitchen) in the middle area. Our three tekias in Rafah distributed 53,000 hot meal servings and 13,500 flatbreads. Our Khan Younis tekia distributed 12,000 hot meal servings and, at our newly opened tekia in the middle area, 12,000 people picked up hot meals over the course of the last two days. The team also coordinated delivery of enough fresh produce to make 49,500 meal servings.
January 20, 2024
We are back in contact with our team in Gaza. During the telecommunications blackout in Gaza this past week, our dedicated staff worked tirelessly to expand our outreach and establish additional community kitchens. We can confirm that we now have four active community kitchens as part of our Tekia program, strategically located to provide essential food assistance to those most in need. These kitchens include the Rafah Tekia near Qatari Camp, the Rafah Crossing Tekia, the Rafah UN Logbase Tekia, and the Khan Younis Tekia, all catering to displaced individuals residing in informal shelters.
In total today, our efforts resulted in the distribution of 63,000 hot meals and 18,000 loaves of freshly baked bread to meet the immediate nutritional needs to displaced people. At the Rafah Qatari Camp Tekia, we prepared nutritious mjadara (rice and lentils) meals and lentil soup, serving a total of 30,000 people. Additionally, the kitchen baked 4,500 loaves of bread to complement these meals. The Rafah Crossing Tekia also focused on providing mjadara and lentil soup to 12,000 people. There was no bread baked there today. At the Rafah UN Logbase Tekia, our team served 15,000 individuals with macaroni and mjadara meals, and 4,500 loaves of bread were prepared to accompany these dishes. And at our Khan Younis Tekia, a total of 6,000 people received mjadara and macaroni meals, along with 9,000 loaves of bread. We also have reports on the food distributions of previous days during the comms blackout and will have an updated tally soon.
We also conducted psychosocial support activities today at Ahmad Yaseen shelter school in Rafah for 310 children. The activities included puppetry, parachute games, singing and sports.
January 19, 2024
As of January 18, UNRWA estimates that 1.7 million people are internally displaced, many having experienced multiple displacements in search of safety. The escalation of conflict has led to some households moving away from initially registered shelters, resulting in multiple registrations of the same IDPs in various shelters. The Rafah governorate is the main refuge for more than one million displaced people, facing extreme overcrowding after hostilities intensified in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah, coupled with Israeli military evacuation orders. Read the latest flash update from UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today marks the seventh day of a shutdown of cell service in Gaza. Normally Anera’s staff in Gaza contact our local partners every day to get the numbers of hot meals and fresh produce prepared and delivered. With the telecommunications blackout, however, our staff has not been able to make phone contact to get those updated numbers. Be assured, though, that the work continues.
Below are some pictures that our photographer Yousef Zaanoun was able to share from at our community kitchen in Rafah today.
January 18, 2024
Currently, a communication blackout persists across most of Gaza, posing challenges for our staff to provide daily updates. To overcome this, our team has to travel to the Rafah border with Egypt to connect to an Egyptian cell tower, enabling them to make necessary calls.
Despite these communication hurdles, we received news about psychosocial activities (PSS) taking place today at the Al Nadina school in Rafah. These activities aim to support displaced children and their families. We also continued with our winter clothing distribution for displaced families in Rafah today.
In a promising development for aid logistics in Egypt, it appears that restrictions on aid cargo and trucks have been lifted, offering increased flexibility in transportation. While this potential change is positive if true, uncertainties linger about its impact on ongoing operations. Our Egyptian staff is actively working to gather detailed information from the aid cluster and Egyptian authorities to clarify this policy shift.
Questions have emerged regarding trucks waiting at the border, prompting a need to assess if expedited processes are possible with this new policy. Additionally, discussions are underway regarding the potential use of the El Arish Seaport as a new route for aid transportation to Egypt and, eventually, Gaza — an idea suggested by Egyptian authorities. Considering the potential time-saving benefits and the possibility of bypassing checkpoints from Cairo, the use of the El Arish Seaport is being carefully considered. We hope these envisioned changes aim to streamline aid operations and enhance humanitarian efforts for Gaza.
January 17, 2024
On 16 January, in a joint statement, a number of UN Special Rapporteurs said: “Currently every single person in Gaza is hungry, a quarter of the population are starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent. Pregnant women are not receiving adequate nutrition and healthcare, putting their lives at risk. In addition, all children under five – 335,000 – are at high risk of severe malnutrition as the risk of famine conditions continues to increase, a whole generation is now in danger of suffering from stunting.” Read the latest flash update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today is the fifth consecutive day of a telecommunications blackout, meaning that we are unable to contact our local partners to get the numbers of meal servings they distributed. Be assured, though, that the work continues. The pictures below came in from our photographer today. He was able to find internet access and sent them through WhatsApp.
January 16, 2024
Telecommunications continues to be a challenge and we have not received an update on numbers for our response in Gaza for today. We can, however, report that we held a psychosocial session at a shelter in Rafah, where 390 children participated.
January 15, 2024
Telecommunications continues to be a challenge and we have not received an update on numbers for our response in Gaza for today. We can, however, report that our Gaza staff opened our third community kitchen. So, now we have kitchens in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area.
A word about communicating with Gaza: Normally Anera’s staff in Gaza contact our local partners every day to get the numbers of hot meals and fresh produce prepared and delivered. With the telecommunications issues over the last few days, our staff has not been able to make phone contact to get those updated numbers. Be assured, though, that the work continues.
One of our photographers, Yousef Zaanoun, went to our community kitchen in Rafah and took the pictures below. He was able to make his way to a place that has internet, where he sat near the building and sent images and films – via WhatsApp – to his colleagues outside of Gaza.
From Jan 13 to Jan 15, we received in Gaza 15 trucks. Eleven trucks came from UNICEF: six carrying medical supplies, three carrying winter clothes and two carrying baby formula. We also received four trucks from World Central Kitchen carrying a combination of food and non-food products that will supply our community kitchens.
January 14, 2024
Today marks the grim milestone of 100 days of war in Gaza. Read Anera’s latest situation report on Gaza.
We have don’t have much of an update today, because there is a telecommunications blackout. We can report, however, that our team in Gaza received 13 trucks over the course of yesterday and today.
January 13, 2024
We have a short update due to frequent loss of telecommunications connections with our Gaza team and the difficulties many of our staff and their families are facing in securing housing for themselves.
Again today, our community kitchens in Khan Younis and Rafah distributed 49,500 hot meal servings to displaced individuals. And like yesterday, the kitchens also baked 9,000 loaves of flatbread. Unfortunately, we were not able to distribute any kebabs or fresh produce baskets today.
Today, we hosted psychosocial support activities at a shelter school in Khan Younis for 213 children, some of whom have been injured in the war, have disabilities, or have lost family members. The activities included music, puppets, games and singing.
January 12, 2024
From Sandra Rasheed: “As Anera’s country director in Palestine, I would like to share an update on our staff’s welfare in Gaza. Our colleagues have faced unprecedented challenges over the last three months… One striking observation is the toll this crisis has taken on the physical well-being of our Gaza team. The tremendous weight loss and accelerated aging experienced by our staff underscore the profound difficulties they encounter daily, as they do their best to provide vital aid in impossible circumstances.” Read Sandra’s whole account.
The Anera team in Gaza distributed 49,500 hot meal servings to displaced individuals at our community kitchens in Rafah and Khan Younis. The meals consisted of lentils, potato, and eggplant. Women at the kitchens baked 9,000 flatbreads. In Khan Younis, we distributed enough kebab meals to serve 9,000 people.
January 11, 2024
We faced difficulties in obtaining an update on aid deliveries from the Gaza team this morning due to communications challenges. Unfortunately, due to rain, psychosocial support (PSS) activities in Rafah were put on hold today. On a positive note, we received another truck with blankets from Project Hope, with 6,325 out of 8,000 blankets successfully delivered. We also received ready-to-eat food items and pallets containing both food and non-food items for running community kitchens.
The Gaza team is prepared for further initiatives, and there are plans to initiate another community kitchen with the support of World Central Kitchen (WCK). Overall, despite challenges, the commitment to providing aid and support remains steadfast.
January 10, 2024
In the midst of ongoing challenges, our staff in Gaza is facing another difficult day and night. Updates from the Gaza team have been scarce as they deal with personal situations and prioritize the well-being of their families. Despite the limited communication, the team is in the process of moving into a new place—a three-story apartment complex.
Unfortunately, information from our community kitchen in Khan Younis has been hard to come by over the past two days. However, our efforts to provide immediate relief continue. We are serving hot meals consisting of lentils, eggplant, white beans, and tomato sauce to those in need and distributed 2,000 fresh produce baskets to Rafah and Khan Younis. Due to Israeli ground operations and tanks near shelter locations, there are no deliveries to the middle area at this time. The total number of meals served today is 93,000.
In addition to the food assistance, psychosocial support (PSS) activities took place at the Marian Farhat School, engaging 360 children. Parents also participated in activities with their children, fostering a sense of community during these challenging times.
We’ve received crucial aid shipments, including a second truck from Direct Relief with a shipment of 5 pallets and an IHP shipment with 7 pallets. Furthermore, mattresses from Project Hope have arrived at the warehouse, and 3 trucks carrying 3,000 blankets, along with dignity kits, have been received.
January 9, 2024
Today, we distributed 96,000 meal servings, including 24,000 servings through our community kitchen in Rafah. The meals included black-eyed beans, white beans, potato, eggplant and mjadara (rice and lentils). At our community kitchen in Khan Younis, we prepared mjadara and eggplant meals to serve 6,000 displaced people at an informal shelter in the area. There was no flour today to bake bread.
We also distributed 2,000 fresh produce baskets today to Rafah and Khan Younis. These baskets included ingredients sufficient to support preparation of 66,000 meals.
Today we received four trucks carrying blankets donated by Project Hope and hygiene kits provided by UNICEF.
We held no psychosocial support activities today because the activity team are relocating to Rafah, where they will soon provide similar activities at sheltered schools in Rafah.
Yesterday (January 8), we distributed 96,000 meals. Our community kitchen in Rafah prepared mjadara, lentils, and eggplant meals to serve a total of 30,000 displaced people. The women also baked 3,600 servings of flatbread.
January 8, 2024
Today there are few updates from our staff in Gaza, because many of them evacuated from their shelter in the middle area, where there has been ground hostilities. They and their families, some 200 people, have had to move from Zawayda to Rafah.
We can report that three trucks carrying food came in late yesterday from WFP. And we held one psychosocial session at a shelter in Khan Younis.
January 7, 2024
Anera’s team in Gaza distributed 24,000 hot meal servings to displaced individuals at our community kitchen in Rafah. The meals included black-eyed beans, white beans, potato with lemon, with a side of rice, and mjadara (rice and lentils meal). Our community kitchen in Khan Younis prepared mjadara, macaroni, and green beans, serving 6,000 displaced people at an informal shelter in the area. The team also provided kebab meals to 9,000 displaced individuals in Khan Younis. In total, Anera distributed 39,000 hot meal servings.
Fortunately, Anera secured flour and, at our community kitchens in Rafah and Khan Younis, women baked 9,900 servings of flatbread today.
The team also distributed in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area enough fresh produce to make 82,500 meal servings.
Anera delivered 500 hygiene kits from UNICEF to displaced people at informal shelters in Khan Younis.
Psychosocial activities reached 182 children at an UNRWA school shelter in Khan Younis.
January 6, 2024
80% of people in the world currently experiencing famine or catastrophic hunger are in Gaza. “In my life, I’ve never seen anything like this in terms of severity, in terms of scale, and then in terms of speed.” – Arif Husain, United Nations World Food Program [New Yorker]
We served 42,000 hot meals in Gaza today. Our community kitchen in Rafah distributed 27,000 hot meals, featuring some combination of black-eyed beans, white beans, eggplant, or potato with lemon and eggplant with a side of rice. Today, we also opened our second community kitchen – this one in Khan Younis. We prepared hot meals of lentil soup and macaroni meals to provide nourishment to a total of 6,000 displaced people at informal shelters. We just got more flour in Rafah so we’ll be able to return to baking more bread tomorrow.
We also prepared and distributed 9,000 kebab hot meals in Khan Younis. And we distributed fresh produce baskets with ingredients to prepare 82,500 meals to the middle area, Khan Younis and Rafah.
Our psychosocial support activities continue today at a shelter school in Khan Younis. The games and singing engaged 340 children, including some who have sustained injuries during the war, have disabilities or have lost family members in the conflict. We also hosted two group counseling sessions for mothers at the shelter.
We received three more trucks yesterday evening with 1,380 food parcels from World Food Programme (of which, we’ve managed to distribute 500 of these today), and 30 pallets of medical supplies from Direct Relief.
January 5, 2024
Continued heavy Israeli bombardment targeted various areas in the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 125 Palestinians killed and 318 injured between January 3 and 4. Since October 7, at least 22,438 Palestinians have been killed, and 57,614 injured. Evacuation orders affecting thousands were issued in Deir Al Balah governorate. Humanitarian access north of Wadi Gaza has been impeded for four days, jeopardizing life-saving assistance for over 100,000 people. The vicinity of Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis was struck for the third day, resulting in casualties among IDPs and damage to residential buildings. For more information, read the latest flash update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Our team in Gaza distributed enough fresh produce to prepare 82,500 meal servings to families in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also provided 34,000 hot meal servings.
Anera received in Gaza today 80,000 medical treatments from IHP UK, including multivitamins and antibiotics.
January 4, 2024
Today, we provided a combined total of 115,500 meal servings in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza’s middle area. This included serving hot meals and distributing fresh produce baskets. The meals featured a variety of dishes, such as potato, eggplant, and green beans/rice, with some including kebab. In addition, the women at our community kitchen contributed by baking approximately 3,600 servings of flatbread.
In Rafah, 3,000 cash vouchers have been exchanged for winter clothes. Yesterday, our distribution center received three UNICEF trucks carrying hygiene kits. We efficiently distributed 300 food parcels donated by World Central Kitchen along with 300 hygiene kits donated by UNICEF to displaced individuals in Rafah.
Psychosocial support (PSS) activities took place at a UNRWA school in Khan Younis. A total of 290 children actively participated, including 14 who were injured, 19 with disabilities, and 29 who had lost family members. The activities included a puppet show, cooperative games, music, dancing, and songs. The PSS sessions also featured four individual counseling sessions tailored to children’s specific needs, along with two group sessions to provide collective support and guidance.
January 3, 2024
Recent mass displacements in southern Gaza have reportedly worsened the spread of diseases, putting additional pressure on an already overwhelmed healthcare system. The WHO head in Palestine noted on December 29 that people in Gaza’s shelters are falling ill, with approximately 180,000 suffering from respiratory infections, 136,400 cases of diarrhea, 55,400 cases of lice and scabies, 5,330 cases of chickenpox and 42,700 cases of skin rash. Read the latest flash update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Gaza team coordinated distribution of 30,000 servings of hot meals in Gaza, including green beans and rice meals prepared for displaced families at our community kitchen in Rafah and kebab meals in Khan Younis. Our community kitchen also began baking bread on Sunday. Today, they made and distributed 8,100 flatbreads.
The team also distributed enough fresh produce to prepare 82,500 meal servings to families in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area.
Families exchanged 2,000 cash vouchers, funded by UMCOR, for winter clothing in Rafah.
Our team coordinated psychosocial support activities today at a school shelter in Khan Younis for 150 children. The activities included group games, music sessions, storytelling, singing, and dancing.
January 2, 2024
Today, we provided 33,000 servings of hot meals in Gaza, including green beans and rice meals prepared for displaced families at our community kitchen in Rafah and kebab meals in Khan Younis. Our kitchen also began baking bread on Sunday. Today, they baked 4,500 loaves. We also distributed fresh produce baskets today, with ingredients sufficient to prepare 82,500 meals, to Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area.
And 1,500 of our current cash vouchers have been exchanged for winter clothing in Rafah.
We held psychosocial support activities today at a school shelter in Khan Younis for 228 children. The activities included group games, music sessions, storytelling, singing, and dancing. The activity team leaders also addressed parents’ questions regarding how to manage and cope with children’s stress.
We continued today with cleaning 15 UN shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah.
January 1, 2024
Anera’s Gaza team provided 24,000 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah, at our Takie community kitchen. The team also provided enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area to make 82,500 meal servings.
Anera began distribution of 3,500 clothing vouchers from UMCOR. Families are using them to purchase warm clothes at local stores in Rafah.
We received two trucks carrying hygiene kits from UNICEF and one truck transporting ready-to-eat food parcels from World Central Kitchen.
The cleaning teams serviced 15 shelters, 10 in Khan Younis and five in Rafah.
Psychosocial support activities engaged 250 children at a UN school shelter in Khan Younis.
December 31, 2023
From Ahmad Najjar, Anera’s medical donations program officer in Gaza: Up until yesterday, my family and I were among the lucky few who were able to stay in our home. The war raged around us, but at least we were able to stay put, content with the basic right of having shelter to protect us from the cold and wet.
Now our story has gone the way of so many others in Gaza. We, too, were among those forced to evacuate. I fled my home and left what remained of my memories in it, taking my family to the unknown, where we all immediately became homeless. Read his full account, “From Home to Homeless.”
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 7,500 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah, at our Takie community kitchen. They provided enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area to make 82,500 meal servings.
Thanks to the support from Project Hope, the team distributed 240 hygiene kits to host communities in the middle area and informal shelters in Rafah crossing.
The cleaning teams serviced 15 shelters, 10 in Khan Younis and five in Rafah.
Psychosocial support activities engaged 240 children at a UN school shelter in Khan Younis.
December 30, 2023
Anera’s Sean Carroll appeared on CNN today to talk about the dire humanitarian situation and his recent opinion piece, “The urgent need for humanitarian aid in Gaza,” published in The Hill.
Today we distributed 8,500 servings of hot meals, with beef and rice meals going to the middle area of Gaza, and our new community kitchen providing green beans and rice meals to displaced persons at an informal shelter in Rafah.
We also distributed 280 ready-to-eat food parcels to the middle area, each containing items such as honey, canned tuna, green beans, meat, cheese, foul, tahini, jam, toast, and disposable utensils. We also distributed 2,500 fresh produce baskets today to Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area in quantities sufficient to prepare 110,000 meals.
We are continuing our daily sanitation cleanings of 15 UN shelter schools in Rafah and Khan Younis.
We held psychosocial support activities at a UN school shelter in Khan Younis today, with 227 children participating. The activities included individual and group drawing sessions, a puppet show, competitive games, and music and dancing. Parents also joined in some of the games with their children. And we held two group sessions for mothers on how to support their children.
December 29, 2023
After weeks of limited access to food in Gaza, the situation has reached a critical point with severe hunger and an looming threat of famine. Since the start of the war, a near total blockade has restricted needed items from coming into Gaza and Israeli assaults throughout Gaza have caused significant damage to local bakeries, food storage facilities, and transportation routes crucial for delivering humanitarian aid.
The percentage of households in Gaza experiencing severe acute food insecurity is the highest ever documented on a global scale. This surpasses the levels seen in recent years during crises in Afghanistan and Yemen, approaching or even surpassing near-famine conditions.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 16,000 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah and the middle area. They also provided enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area to make 110,000 meal servings.
Today, a shipment of 100 pallets containing donated medicines and healthcare supplies arrived at El Arish airport in Egypt (pictures below). The shipment comes from Direct Relief and came through Jordan in coordination with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization. Another seven pallets, donated by International Health Partners, also arrived.
December 28, 2023
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 22,000 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah and the middle area. They also provided enough fresh produce in Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area to make 92,400 meal servings. Our distribution center in Rafah received 8 trucks, with one carrying stoves, two carrying ready-to-eat items, and five carrying kitchen equipment for our community kitchens.
Beyond food aid, our commitment to comprehensive support was evident as 280 children actively engaged in psychosocial support (PSS) activities at a school in Rafah. This inclusive program catered to 12 injured children, 14 with disabilities, and 23 who have lost family members. The activities, ranging from sports games to singing, music, and drawing, provided a platform for expression and relief. Parents were encouraged to participate, and responsive counselors were available to address the specific needs and challenges faced by both children and parents.
Our dedication extends to maintaining a clean environment, with ongoing efforts to clean 10 UN shelters daily, reinforcing our commitment to providing safe and sanitary spaces for those seeking refuge.
December 27, 2023
In Gaza, 9 out of 10 people are currently consuming less than one meal a day, creating widespread hunger and impacting everyone. The situation is dire, pushing individuals towards preventable deaths and contributing to the breakdown of Gaza’s society. Adding to the challenges, ongoing bombings exacerbate the difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid and programs. The overwhelming needs place immense pressure on our staff, who are working tirelessly to support their communities.
In the occupied West Bank’s northern region, a drone strike during a raid on a refugee camp resulted in the tragic loss of at least six Palestinian lives. The strike unfolded overnight in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem, as confirmed by reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and health officials on Wednesday. Concurrently, Israeli forces expanded their operations throughout the territory, escalating the tension and risk for further incidents.
Today, we distributed a total of 15,000 hot meals across Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. Notably, our inaugural community kitchen began operations at an informal shelter in Rafah, offering meals primarily composed of white beans and rice. With the goal of expanding our impact, we plan to grow this initiative in the coming days to serve an even larger number in the area.
We furthered our support by distributing 2,500 fresh produce baskets to Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area, ensuring enough produce to facilitate the preparation of 110,000 meals. Thanks to the support from Project Hope, 720 hygiene kits were delivered to our warehouse, with 480 distributed so far to host communities in the middle area and informal shelters in Rafah crossing.
In total, 34,000 individuals received nutritious and warm meals today, addressing immediate hunger concerns.
Our commitment to maintaining clean and safe shelters persisted as we continued cleaning 10 UN shelters per day. Simultaneously, we engaged in psychological and social support (PSS) activities at a UN shelter in Khan Younis, involving 270 children, including 2 with disabilities, 5 who have lost family members, and 15 enrolled in psychological counseling programs. Recognizing the psychological and behavioral challenges arising from food shortages and exposure to cold weather, our activity leaders initiated counseling sessions to address and support the affected children’s well-being.
To reinforce our ongoing efforts, today witnessed the arrival of 8 trucks at our warehouse, carrying essential supplies such as kitchen smart pallets, charcoal, wood pallets, flour, stoves, and other canned food. This influx of resources is vital for us to continue providing critical aid to those in need.
December 26, 2023
A Washington Post analysis based on satellite imagery and other data has concluded that “Israel has carried out its war in Gaza at a pace and level of devastation that likely exceeds any recent conflict,” including “repeated and widespread airstrikes in proximity to hospitals.” An excerpt:
Tom Potokar, a chief surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross working in Gaza for the 14th time, said explosive injuries were responsible for all the wounds he and his colleagues at European Hospital in southern Gaza had been treating. Many patients had necrotic wounds requiring amputation due to the lack of supplies and equipment at battered and besieged hospitals in the north. “For me, personally, this is without a doubt the worst I’ve seen,” said Potokar, who has worked during conflicts in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Ukraine.
Today, we distributed 30,000 servings of hot meals of beef and rice to Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. We also distributed 2,500 fresh produce baskets today to Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area, with enough supply of produce to support 110,000 meals.
Anera held psychosocial support activities at one shelter school in Rafah for 310 children, including 27 who are injured, 15 with disabilities, and 31 who have lost family members. The activities included games, puppetry and more. There were also four individual counseling sessions and two group sessions for the parents.
We continue to clean 10 UN shelters per day.
Yesterday, we distributed 50,000 servings of hot meals to Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. The meals consisted of either meat or kebab and rice. On December 25, we also distributed 4,600 fresh produce baskets in quantities sufficient to prepare 202,400 meals to Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area.
We have also received hygiene kits from Project HOPE into Gaza and have distributed 480 of the kits so far to host communities in the middle area and informal shelters in Rafah crossing.
December 24, 2023
Our Gaza team distributed 44,000 hot meal servings today to displaced families in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered enough fresh produce to make 114,400 meal servings in the same areas. Our cleaning team serviced 10 IDP shelters in Khan Younis.
Today’s psychosocial activities took place at a hospital in Khan Younis. Over 200 children participated, among them 13 who are injured, three with disabilities, and 21 who have lost family members.
December 23, 2023
A new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released on Thursday concludes that “Gaza risks falling into famine unless access to adequate food, clean water, health and sanitation services is urgently restored. The entire population – about 2.2 million people – is suffering crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.” The United Nations World Food Programme reports that “half of Gaza’s population is starving, with nine out of ten Palestinians eating less than one meal a day and struggling to find clean, drinkable water.” The IPC report finds
“At least one in four households (more than half a million people) in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic acute food insecurity conditions (IPC Phase 5 – Catastrophe), characterized by extreme food gaps and collapse of their livelihood. About 80% of the population in Gaza Strip are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) or Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). The entire population can be considered classified in IPC Phase 3 and above (Crisis or worse)… Furthermore, the situation is deteriorating rapidly.”
Reuters notes that this proportion of the population facing hunger “the largest ever recorded globally.” A representative of the World Food Programme, called the situation “unprecedented.” He told Reuters, “I’ve been doing this for the last 20 plus years. I’ve been to Afghanistan, I’ve been to Yemen, to Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, northeast Nigeria. But I’ve never seen something this bad happening this quickly.”
Today, we delivered 51,000 hot meal servings across Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area. These meals consisted of meat and rice or kebabs and rice. We also delivered 3,800 fresh produce baskets to these areas, with quantities sufficient to make 167,200 meals.
Our daily cleanings of 10 school shelters continue. There was no rain in south today so we are able to hold psychosocial support activities in the courtyard at a school shelter in Khan Younis, with about 400-450 children participating, including 15 children who have sustained injuries in the war, and four who have lost their family members. Activities include individual and group drawing sessions, puppets, interactive games and activities like dancing to music, and group relaxation exercises. We also held two counseling sessions for the children, and sessions for parents asking for advice about relating to their children during these extremely difficult circumstances.
December 22, 2023
Our Gaza team distributed hot meals to serve 44,000 people in Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. We purchased the meat with funding from PCRF. The team also delivered, in the same areas, enough fresh produce to make 114,400 meal servings. And our cleaning contractors serviced 10 school shelters in Khan Younis.
Yesterday, Anera President Sean Carroll left Gaza after a 48-hour visit with staff and partners. Under ‘normal’ circumstances, staff from our West Bank or Jerusalem offices would be doing many trips to Gaza. However, the only people who can go in right now are internationals. Our Palestinian staff cannot get permission to enter. As president, Sean well knows the scope and breadth of Anera’s programs and the support we have received to conduct them. His meetings with partner organizations were therefore very helpful for planning further coordination and collaboration.
December 21, 2023
The new World Food Programme report today reveals that over 25% of households in Gaza are currently grappling with severe hunger. The report underscores the looming threat of famine unless there is prompt restoration of access to essential provisions such as adequate food, clean water, and health and sanitation services.
Our Gaza staff delivered 38,000 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah, the middle area and Khan Younis. And they distributed enough fresh produce to make 105,600 meal servings to the same areas.
Today our warehouse received 20 pallets of supplies for producing meals. These items will be utilized for a new kitchen in partnership with World Central Kitchen.
Today’s PSS activities were held at a UN school in Khan Younis. Approximately 400 to 450 children participated. The activities included five different types, such as games involving music, dancing, drawing, and competitive games. Counseling sessions were conducted for two groups as well as for individuals, with many parents actively participating in today’s activities. It is evident that support in terms of food, water, and mental health is urgently needed for the community.
December 20, 2023
Heavy bombardments from air, land, and sea, continued across Gaza, with the most intense shelling reported in Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia, all in the north. On December 19th, for the sixth consecutive day, most areas of Gaza had no telecommunications or internet services, severely affecting emergency operations and access to information. Read more from the UNOCHA’s flash update.
Yesterday, Anera President and CEO Sean Carroll entered Gaza for a two-day visit with staff and partners.
Anera’s Gaza team delivered 38,000 hot meal servings to displaced families in Rafah, the middle area and Khan Younis. And they distributed enough fresh produce to make 105,600 meal servings to the same areas. Anera’s psychosocial activities were conducted at one school in Khan Younis with 290 children participating in drawing sessions, puppet shows, racing games, and singing. In addition to engaging with the children, counselors worked closely with parents to provide guidance on handling children’s behaviors and addressing their stresses. Our school shelter cleanings also continue.
Between yesterday and today, Anera received and coordinated the delivery of trucks carrying 35 water tanks to ETA Company, a prominent water purification company in Palestine, for installation. These tanks will be filled twice a day, ensuring a sustainable supply of drinkable water for communities and internally displaced persons.
December 19, 2023
“For two weeks, it’s been obvious that starvation is coming. There is no flour, rice, sugar, milk, diapers, napkins or most basic human necessities. If you can find anything, it costs approximately tenfold the normal price.” — Mahmoud al-Banna, a resident of northern Gaza (Washington Post, Dec. 18)
We distributed 44,000 servings of hot meals today, with 26,000 meat-based meals going to Rafah and the middle area and 18,000 kebab meals going to Khan Younis. We also distributed 2,400 fresh produce baskets across Khan Younis, Rafah and the middle area, providing enough fresh food to support 105,600 meals — sustaining recipient families of five for six days.
We conducted psychosocial support activities at a school in Khan Younes, with a total of 280 children participating, including seven injured children and 20 who have lost parents. The activities included exercises to engage the children: imitating sounds and vowels, drawing and performing drama sketches. In addition to the activities for children, we organized a group session with mothers, providing advice on how to deal with children before going to bed. A separate session was dedicated to injured children, guiding them in relaxation exercises to practice before bedtime. Our school shelter cleanings also continue.
In the last four days we have received a total of 15 trucks carrying 1,986 mattresses donated by Project HOPE that we are now distributing to displaced families.
Two clarifications to yesterday’s update: only 92 of the water tanks that we received arrived in good condition. We are distributing the 92 tanks for installation and conducting an investigation into how the others were damaged. Also, the graphic yesterday reflected an incorrect truck total – the number is now updated to reflect the accurate count.
December 18, 2023
This morning, 124 water tanks were transported into Gaza and are scheduled for direct shipment to ETA Company, a prominent water purification company in Palestine, for installation. These tanks will be filled twice a day, ensuring a sustainable supply of drinkable water for communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) beyond schools, reflecting our commitment to supporting various communities and IDPs.
We also were able to successfully distribute 44,000 meat-based hot meals to Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area of Gaza. Additionally, fresh produce baskets were distributed, providing enough fresh produce to make 110,440 meals.
We’ve made significant progress in establishing our first WCK/Anera community kitchen, named ‘tekia,’ located on the border between Rafah and Khan Younis. With a capacity to feed 2,000 people, we are actively setting up and exploring additional locations for more kitchens to expand our impact and feed more displaced people in Gaza.
Our PSS activities today were held in a hard-to-reach school in Khan Younis, starting at 8:00 am. These activities, engaging 150 children, included games involving music, dancing, drawing, and competitive games.
The ongoing efforts include the daily cleaning of 10 schools and the continuation of the winter clothes vouchers activity in Khan Younis.
December 17, 2023
Telecommunications connectivity is gradually returning across Gaza.
Last week Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City and bulldozed the grounds, reducing the facility to rubble. OCHA reports that “According to initial reports by media and video footage, an Israeli military bulldozer flattened the tents of a number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) outside the hospital, killing and wounding an unconfirmed number of people.” Only 11 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain functional.
We managed to talk with several of our staff in Gaza today. We can now report that yesterday (Dec. 16), Anera distributed 44,000 hot meals — consisting of 26,000 servings of meat-based hot meals, including 22,000 in Rafah and 4,000 in the middle area, and 18,000 servings of kebab meals in Khan Younis. Yesterday, we also distributed 2,200 fresh produce baskets with 1,000 going to Khan Younis, 600 in Rafah and 600 in the middle area, providing enough fresh produce for 96,800 meals.
Today, we again distributed 44,000 hot meal servings, including meat and kebab meals in the same proportions as yesterday. We also distributed 2,400 fresh produce baskets in Khan Younis, Rafah and the middle area, providing enough fresh produce to support 105,600 meals. Households received enough to supply a family of five for six days.
Today we hosted several hours of psychosocial support activities in two schools in Khan Younis. The activities included music and games, including friendly competitive games, to encourage movement. A total of 250 children participated in these activities.
We have continued to clean 10 schools each day and also continue with the winter clothes vouchers in Khan Younis.
December 16, 2023
We have no program updates today. An ongoing communications blackout – the longest since the war began – has made it impossible to communicate with our staff inside Gaza today.
“Now 48 hours and counting. The incident is likely to limit reporting and visibility to events on the ground,” Alp Toker of the internet monitoring organization NetBlocks told the Associated Press today.
We received the following photos from our program team yesterday of blankets and hot meals distributions.
December 15, 2023
The situation in Gaza remains critical, with over half of the civilian population facing starvation, and the rest experiencing significantly inadequate nutrition levels. Access to safe water remains extremely challenging for many, if available at all.
Today’s distribution efforts included providing 16,000 hot meal servings in Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza’s middle area. Additionally, fresh produce baskets were distributed, supplying enough produce for 101,200 meal servings in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area.
8 trucks from World Central Kitchen arrived, delivering a variety of supplies, increasing the total number of trucks received at our distribution center to 76. This latest shipment included 2 trucks of food parcels, 1 with charcoal, 1 with wood pallets, 1 carrying cooking oil, and 3 transporting flour.
Our commitment to cleanliness continues with the daily cleaning of 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
Winter clothes vouchers are still being processed, and because it is a Friday, there were no Psychosocial Support (PSS) activities today.
December 14, 2023
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, heavy Israeli bombardments persist, resulting in significant casualties and destruction. Between December 12 and 13, at least 196 Palestinians were killed and 499 injured, adding to a grim toll of 18,608 fatalities and 50,594 injuries since October 7.
Humanitarian aid faces challenges, with limited distributions and aid truck screenings at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The UN stresses the need for a complete reopening of Kerem Shalom for effective humanitarian assistance. On December 13, 152 trucks with supplies entered Gaza from Egypt, but challenges such as fuel shortages, communication blackouts, and staff safety concerns hinder aid reception within Gaza. Read the latest flash update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Anera’s Gaza team distributed a total of 41,000 hot meal servings between Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area of Gaza, and in the same areas they distributed enough fresh produce to make 101,200 meals. They also delivered 1,600 blankets, from Project Hope, to a shelter in Khan Younis.
Today our psychosocial support program held activities at three schools with 650 children participating. The activities included face painting, songs, and games.
🚚 We received 4 trucks, two carrying food and two carrying wood charcoal, at our distribution center in Rafah.
We continue to clean 10 UN shelters a day in Khan Younis.
December 13, 2023
Today our Gaza team distributed a total of 41,000 hot meal servings between Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area of Gaza. They also distributed enough fresh produce to make 101,200 meals.
9 trucks arrived to our distribution center today in Rafah, 6 carrying ready-to-eat food parcels, 2 carrying canned sweet potatoes and one carrying water.
Unfortunately, due to heavy rain, we were unable to conduct any PSS activities today. However, our cleaning of 10 UN shelters a day in Khan Younis continues. The distribution of winter clothes vouchers is still in progress, despite people refraining from going to the stores due to the weather in the last day.
December 12, 2023
Today, Anera’s Gaza team distributed 32,000 hot meal servings in Rafah, Khan Younis and in the middle area. The team also distributed enough fresh produce to make 101,200 meals.
Today our psychosocial support program held activities at three schools (Altaef , Khawla Bent Al Azwar, and Wow) with nearly 700 children participating. The activities included face painting, songs, and games. We continue to clean 10 UN shelters a day in Khan Younis.
And, with generous support from Islamic Relief USA, as of today 4,600 displaced people have redeemed their vouchers for winter clothes.
December 11, 2023
Between December 9 and 10, the Gaza conflict escalated with 297 Palestinians killed, heavy Israeli bombardments, and ongoing fighting. Health facilities in Gaza were attacked, hindering medical aid. A UN and PRCS convoy faced delays and gunfire while delivering supplies to Al Ahli Arab hospital. Israeli forces reportedly detained hundreds, subjecting them to harsh conditions. Tens of thousands of displaced persons in Rafah continue to face severe overcrowding and dire conditions. Aid distribution is still constrained by the closures between governorates. Read the latest flash update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Anera’s team in Gaza distributed 34,000 hot meal servings in Rafah, the middle area and Khan Younis. They also delivered enough fresh produce to make 92,400 meal servings.
With support from IRUSA, the team distributed 500 winter clothes vouchers for families to redeem at local stores. So far, 4,500 families have received vouchers.
Anera coordinated psychosocial support activities at two schools in Rafah today, with 400 children participating in competitive activities like races and games.
🚚 Our team received in the new Rafah distribution center 8 trucks, 7 carrying food and 1 carrying blankets.
December 10, 2023
Anera has installed a temporary solar array in close proximity to a preschool in Rafah. These panels are currently supplying power to a previously inactive reverse osmosis system, which had ceased operation due to electricity cuts and the depletion of fuel reserves. As a result, the reverse osmosis system has been reactivated and is now generating fresh, potable water to meet the needs of the displaced families at the location.
Anera’s team in Gaza distributed 24,000 hot meal servings in Rafah and enough fresh produce to make 114,400 meal servings in Rafah and Khan Younis.
With support from IRUSA, the team distributed 500 winter clothes vouchers for families to redeem at local stores. So far, 4,000 families have received vouchers.
We learned today that, despite the bombings and upheaval in Khan Younis, our cleaning teams have managed to continue to service shelters there for the past several days.
Anera coordinated psychosocial support activities at two schools in Rafah today, with 400 children participating in competitive activities like races and games. Mothers also gathered for their own sessions to talk about the traumas they and their families are experiencing.
🚚 Our team received in the new Rafah distribution center 4 trucks carrying blankets and food.
December 9, 2023
Our Gaza team managed to distribute 20,000 hot meal servings today and enough fresh produce to make 70,400 meals. The food was distributed in the middle area and Rafah.
Our daily school shelter cleanings continue.
We are also working on distributing winterization shelter supplies to people sleeping in the streets before the expected rain this coming Monday and Tuesday.
We held psychosocial support activities at two schools in Rafah today, with 400 children participating in competitive activities like races and games. The school shelters are becoming more crowded due to the arrival of so many displaced families from Khan Younis.
In coordination with Project HOPE, today Anera started providing medications to people in Deir el-Balah through two popup medical clinics.
December 8, 2023
Sixty-two days into this humanitarian crisis, and the situation in Gaza is at a heightened level of desperation. Some one million people are crowded into the small Rafah governorate. Thousands of people gather around aid distribution centers, like Anera’s, as they are in desperate need of everything from a place to sleep to food, water and healthcare.
Read the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs full flash update from December 7.
Anera’s team managed to distribute enough hot meals in the middle area and Rafah to serve 24,000 displaced people and enough fresh produce to make 70,400 meals. But our interventions over the past few days are more limited than they were, as governorates are cut off from each other and we are unable to move relief supplies and staff.
December 7, 2023
The situation in Gaza is growing increasingly desperate with each passing hour. All societal institutions are in a state of collapse or on the verge, leaving people to fend for themselves or depend on humanitarian aid, which has become increasingly challenging to deliver throughout Gaza.
Despite current challenges, we managed to distribute enough hot meals in the middle area and Rafah to serve 24,000 displaced people. The team also distributed enough fresh produce in the middle area and Rafah to make 70,400 meals.
We received 10 trucks last night, bringing the total number of WCK trucks to 94 to date. These trucks carried (8) ready to eat food parcels and (2) water.
Due to the critical situation, PSS activities for today were confined to a single sheltered location in Rafah. Approximately 150 children actively participated in various engaging activities.
December 6, 2023
Yesterday was probably one of the worst days since the start of the war for Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis. These are the areas where people from the north evacuated to. Now they are evacuating yet again.
We received this communication from one of our staffers who lives in Khan Younis: “The situation is very, very critical, especially in Khan Younis, and we have prepared ourselves for evacuation to Rafah at any moment. But we don’t know where to go. Shelters now are overwhelmed, so are mosques and even streets.”
Our Gaza staffers have had to shift geographic areas of focus. They’re not stopping delivering relief, rather they are forced by circumstances to concentrate their efforts in a tiny area of Gaza, Rafah, despite the enormous need in all places. Distributions are on pause in other areas, because it is just too dangerous for our colleagues.
Despite the precarious situation, our heroic team managed to distribute 16,000 hot meal servings today and enough fresh produce to make 44,000 meals. They also coordinated psychosocial activities in three schools, engaging about 450 children in fun, healing activities.
🚚 And 9 Anera-WCK trucks crossed the border into Gaza, carrying items like water, oil, charcoal, yeast, canned meat. Total WCK trucks to date is 84.
December 5, 2023
The Israeli military is now separating Khan Younis from other areas and subjecting it to heavy bombing and ground operations. People in Khan Younis are being forced to evacuate to Rafah. Moving between areas is nearly impossible. The situation feels particularly dangerous now. Gaza was subjected to nonstop bombing and armaments fire last night. Our team in Gaza are always glad to see the sunrise, even if daylight doesn’t bring an end to the bombing.
Yesterday we published the first entry in Voices From Gaza: A Collective Journal, a blog post that will be updated semi-regularly.
The heightened military operations in the south are making our operations increasingly difficult and dangerous, limiting the areas where we can work. Today, we delivered 9,000 servings of hot meals and fresh produce baskets for 22,000 servings to Rafah.
We also provided psychosocial support activities in two shelter-schools in Rafah today, with nearly 400 children participating in playing organized games and singing songs. We also conducted adult psychosocial support, with 50 women in the same school shelters participating.
Anera also continues to prepare support for mobile, popup medical clinics providing free healthcare.
December 4, 2023
The bombing has been very heavy – the worst yet since the war began. Death tolls are high and the damage is devastating. Israel has separated the Gaza governorates from each other, which is making our team’s work extremely difficult. They are unable to move relief supplies or humanitarian responders from one area to another. Today, they could not deliver food to the middle area.
Despite the challenges, however, Anera’s heroic Gaza staff distributed enough hot meals to serve 28,000 displaced people and enough fresh produce to make 70,400 meal servings. All distributions were in Rafah and Khan Younis. And our cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
Displaced families continued to redeem vouchers at stores for winter clothes. 2,000 people have redeemed their vouchers to date.
🚚 2 Anera-WCK trucks crossed the border into Gaza, one carrying water and the other aluminum pans. Total WCK trucks to date is 69.
Anera coordinated psychosocial activities at three school shelters, in partnership with a local psychological and social counseling organization. About 350 children participated in fun, healing activities.
December 3, 2023
🍲 We served a total of 32,000 hot meals today. This includes distributing 11,500 meals, with 4,500 reaching UN shelters in Rafah, 5,000 to shelters in Khan Younis, and 2,000 to the middle area, serving a total of 23,000 people. Additionally, we distributed 3,000 kebab meals in Khan Younis, providing meals for 9,000 people.
🥦 On the fresh produce front, we delivered 2,100 baskets to UN shelters in Khan Younis, the middle area, and Rafah. This is enough to provide produce for an incredible 92,400 meals!
🧥 Winter Clothes Distribution Update: Our Gaza team, with support from IRUSA, initiated the distribution of winter clothes using vouchers. This week-long intervention aims to assist 5,000 displaced individuals. So far, approximately 1,500 people have redeemed their vouchers.
🚚 Truck Update: Six trucks from WCK entered Gaza, transporting essential items, including aluminum pans, rice, and tomato sauce. This brings the total number of WCK trucks to date to 67.
🧒 PSS Activities: Despite challenges, engaging psychosocial activities took place at three schools, involving 400 children. Unfortunately, escalations in the area forced the conclusion of today’s events to prioritize the safety of all participants. The day featured friendly competitive games, races, and sessions incorporating songs and painting.
🧹 Shelter Cleaning: Our daily commitment continues as we clean and maintain 10 UN shelters – working to improve living conditions for those seeking refuge.
December 2, 2023
Today, our amazing Gaza team distributed enough hot meals to serve 32,000 people. They also delivered enough fresh produce to make 92,400 meal servings. Distributions took place in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. And Anera’s contracted cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
🚚 Truck Update: Between yesterday and today, 25 Anera-WCK trucks crossed the border into Gaza. To date, 61 World Central Kitchen trucks have crossed into Gaza.
Anera coordinated psychosocial activities at two school shelters, in partnership with a local psychological and social counseling organization. About 450 children participated, in some cases alongside their parents, who also enjoyed the fun diversion.
December 1, 2023
The ceasefire has ended. Airstrikes resumed in Gaza. Israel has issued more evacuation orders for Jabalia, Shejaiya, Zeitoun, old city in Gaza City, and eastern Khan Younis, where a large number of displaced families are sheltering. A message from one our Gaza staff today: “No one is safe. There is no [physical] security. The problem is that we in Gaza have been left all alone.“
Anera’s Gaza team provided 27,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And our cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
🚚 Truck update: 15 WCK/Anera trucks came through the border before hostilities recommenced. They contain rice, canned foods and oil. The total number of World Central Kitchen trucks to date is 54.
November 30, 2023
🚚 Truck update: 13 World Central Kitchen trucks arrived at our distribution center: six carrying water, two carrying cooking oil, two with rice, one with lentils, one with canned foul, and one carrying yeast, cheese and tomato paste. The total number of WCK trucks to date is 39.
🚚 Also through the border and on the way to our distribution center are three Global Empowerment Mission trucks: two carrying water and one with blankets. One Project Hope truck carrying 750 hygiene kits crossed the border and is also on its way to our distribution center.
Anera’s Gaza team provided 27,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And our cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
Psychosocial activities took place today in two schools and one shelter center in Rafah. Approximately 330 children actively participated in engaging activities that included face painting, dancing, and friendly games.
November 29, 2023
Every year, November 29 marks International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People — a date observed by the United Nation for over four decades. Learn more about how you can support Palestine and Palestinians.
Anera’s amazing Gaza team provided 27,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And our cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
In partnership with the NAFS for Empowerment, a local psychological and social counseling organization, Anera coordinated psychosocial support activities today at one UN shelter with ~200 children participating in the activities which included competitive games and ball games.
November 28, 2023
Today marked the fifth consecutive day of a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Approximately 1.8 million Gazans, nearly 80% of the population, are internally displaced, with around 1.1 million in UNRWA facilities. On November 26, 13,000 more sought refuge in UNRWA shelters in the south. An estimated 191,000 IDPs are in public schools, hospitals, and other venues. Overcrowded UNRWA shelters have led to increased communicable diseases. Vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and pregnant women, face challenges in difficult shelter conditions.
Across Gaza, 46,000 homes are destroyed, and 234,000 housing units are damaged, constituting over 60% of the housing stock. Read the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs flash update.
🚚 Two trucks carrying water and charcoal came through the border and delivered their contents to our Rafah warehouse. The supplies and trucks came through World Central Kitchen, Anera’s primary partner in food relief efforts. WCK truck count total: 23 received in Gaza.
🚚 Two trucks from Americares has come through the Rafah border have just been unloaded. The trucks contained six tons of desperately needed surgical supplies, bandages, antibiotics, oral rehydration salts and labor and delivery supplies.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 27,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
In partnership with the NAFS for Empowerment, a local psychological and social counseling organization, Anera coordinated psychosocial support activities today at three UN shelters with ~350 children participating in the activities which included competitive games and ball games.
November 27, 2023
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 27,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
And we conducted psychosocial support activities today at five UN shelters with ~550 children participating in the activities which included competitive games and ball games.
November 26, 2023
Yesterday, the Israeli military intensified pressure on northern residents to evacuate southward along Salah Ad Deen Road between 9 am and 4 pm. Simultaneously, they prohibited movement from south to north. The UN estimated fewer than 400 people using the designated “corridor,” where Israeli forces reportedly established an unstaffed checkpoint. Read the latest flash update from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
🚚 Six trucks came through the Rafah border, including rice, water, bread stoves, aluminum pans, and canned meats. Three trucks containing food went immediately to UN shelters in the north and Gaza City. The remaining three trucks went to Anera’s Rafah warehouse to be used for making meals. The supplies and trucks came through World Central Kitchen, our primary partner in food relief efforts.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team provided 26,500 hot meal servings to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered fresh produce baskets with enough food to make 92,400 meals. And Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
And we conducted psychosocial support activities today at four UN shelters with ~350 children participating in the activities which included competitive games and ball games.
November 25, 2023
Today, we distributed 11,500 meat-based hot meals serving 23,000 people, with 4,500 of these going to UN shelters in Rafah, 5,000 to shelters in Khan Younis, and 2,000 to the middle area. We also distributed 1,500 kebab meals in Khan Younis, serving 4,500 people. In total, our hot meals today served 27,500 people.
We also delivered 2,100 fresh produce baskets in UN shelters in Khan Younis, middle area, and Rafah, which is enough to provide produce for 92,400 meals.
And we conducted psychosocial support activities today at three UN shelters with about 300 children participating in the activities which included competitive games and ball games.
We continue to clean 10 UN school shelters each day.
November 24, 2023
A four-day pause in hostilities commenced at 7:00 AM in Gaza. Bombing continued up until the moment of the ceasefire. Read the latest flash update from the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs.
Anera’s amazing Gaza team distributed enough hot meat-based meals to serve 29,500 displaced people in UN shelters across Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered, in the same areas, enough fresh produce for 92,400 meal servings. And the cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
November 23, 2023
Anera welcomes the news of a pause in hostilities for the distribution of desperately needed humanitarian relief in Gaza. Over the four-day period, we will work around the clock to distribute as much aid as possible to the people whose lives have been devastated by this unprecedented bombing campaign. This pause also marks the first time in the last 47 days that our staff in Gaza can mobilize resources without fearing for their lives.
But a four-day pause will not come close to solving the problems wrought by seven weeks of incessant bombings. More than 45% of Gaza’s housing units are either destroyed or severely damaged, nearly 40% of schools have sustained damage, and 26 of the 33 medical facilities across Gaza are non-operational. The inflicted damage will require years, if not decades, for reconstruction.
As long as the war continues, even with a brief respite, providing the people of Gaza with the resources and humanitarian aid within their human rights will continue to be an insurmountable challenge. Anything short of a permanent ceasefire cannot be called a successful humanitarian outcome.
Read Anera’s full statement on the temporary ceasefire.
The Gaza team distributed enough meat-based meals to serve 29,000 displaced people in UN shelters across the southern half of Gaza. They also delivered enough fresh produce to make 92,400 meals. And the cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
🚚 One World Central Kitchen truck, carrying tuna, successfully arrived at our Khan Younis distribution center. Total trucks received from WCK to date is 15.
The team facilitated psychosocial activities in two UN shelters in Khan Younis, with some 200 children participating in activities, including singing, and fun group competitions.
November 22, 2023
The Gaza team today distributed enough meat-based hot meals to serve 43,500 displaced people in shelters across Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered, in the same areas, enough fresh produce to make 92,400 meals. And the cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters (read the Telegraph article about our cleaning initiative).
🚚Five World Central Kitchen trucks successfully arrived at Anera’s distribution center in Khan Younis: four carrying beans and one carrying tuna. The total number of WCK trucks received to date is 14.
The team facilitated psychosocial activities in two UN shelters in Khan Younis, with some 350 children participating in activities including ball play and fun races.
November 21, 2023
🚚Three World Central Kitchen trucks came in today carrying tuna, beans, and mixed canned vegetables. They are currently in Anera’s Khan Younis distribution center, being readied for distribution. So far, we have received nine trucks with food from WCK and , on November 3rd, one truck of healthcare supplies Anera procured and shipped from Jordan (with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization).
Our amazing Gaza team today distributed enough meat meals to serve 39,000 people in UN shelters across Rafah, Khan Younis, and the middle area. They also delivered enough fresh produce for 92,400 meal servings
Since October 20, Anera has engaged in comprehensive cleaning efforts at UN shelters in Khan Younis, each housing thousands of displaced people. Our team in Gaza works with a reputable cleaning agent associated with UNRWA. That company employs individuals from the shelters, providing them with a daily wage. The initiative includes the purchase of cleaning supplies such as bleach and mops, as well as tasks like trash removal, bathroom disinfection, and cleaning of common spaces. Cleaners work around the clock in 24-hour shifts. The cleaning team systematically moves from one shelter to another, 10 per day, to make conditions less uncomfortable and to ensure diseases are less likely to spread. Today, as usual, the cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters.
Anera provided psychosocial services for six schools, providing fun activities for children and group meetings for mothers.
November 20, 2023
Yesterday, according to the UNOCHA’s flash appeal update (#44), 69,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt. UNRWA is set to distribute the fuel to support food distribution and operate generators at vital facilities, including hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and other critical services. On the same day, UNRWA and UNICEF distributed 19,500 liters of fuel to water and sanitation facilities in the south of Wadi Gaza, enabling them to operate for about 24 hours. However, in the north of Wadi Gaza, all water and sanitation facilities are presumed to be shut down, and no bottled water distribution has occurred since the start of Israeli ground operations on October 28, raising serious concerns about dehydration and waterborne diseases.
On November 15, 2023, Anera began providing psychosocial activities for children in partnership with the NAFS for Empowerment, a local psychological and social counseling organization. Some 1,400 children, 4-13 years old, at six school shelters are participating. The daily sessions are led by 20 trainers guiding them through self-expression exercises, art activities and play. Mothers at all of the shelters participated in their own group sessions as well.
A truck from World Central Kitchen, our partner in providing food relief, came into Gaza today delivering yeast and canned vegetables, which Anera will soon distribute.
Today, the Gaza team distributed enough food, in the form of meat-based hot meals and fresh produce, to provide 113,000 meal servings to displaced families in UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. And Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 shelters in Khan Younis.
November 19, 2023
The Gaza team distributed enough meat-based hot meals to serve 26,900 displaced people in shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They delivered enough fresh produce in the middle area, Rafah and Khan Younis to make 92,400 meals. They distributed 1,000 hygiene kits to hosting families and UN shelters in the middle area. They delivered 1,000 food parcels to displaced people seeking refuge at two churches. And Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 shelters in Khan Younis.
November 18, 2023
With cold weather and rain storms predicted for tomorrow, the suffering in Gaza will reach new levels of terrible. The war, likely to soon be the bloodiest in the 75-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has brought unprecedented challenges over the past 42 days. The arrival of the rainy season now compounds the misery displaced families are experiencing. Read the post for more information.
Our Gaza team today delivered enough food today, in the form of meat-based hot dishes and fresh produce, to provide 101,400 meals to displaced families in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also distributed 1,000 hygiene kits in a Khan Younis shelter. And our contracted cleaners serviced 10 shelters in Khan Younis.
November 17, 2023
Late yesterday afternoon, telecommunications service providers in Gaza shut down due to the exhaustion of fuel for their generators. And, on November 14, some communications infrastructure south of Wadi Gaza suffered bomb damage. These blackouts pose risks to the safety of civilians and hinder the delivery of crucial life-saving aid.
Despite the communications blackout in Gaza, Anera staff in Gaza were able to distribute 15,000 meat-based meal servings in Rafah and the middle area and 21,000 fish-based meal servings in Khan Younis. They also distributed, in all three areas, enough fresh produce to make 88,000 meals. Our cleaning contractors serviced 10 shelters in Khan Younis.
November 16, 2023
According to UNOCHA, yesterday, 23,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt, the first such delivery since 7 October. The Israeli authorities have restricted the use of this fuel only to use for UNRWA trucks distributing aid. The entry of fuel for all other purposes remains banned.
Of the 24 hospitals in the north, only one remains operational, with 18 shutting down and evacuating due to hostilities. Five hospitals, including Shifa, provide limited services to existing patients but lack accessibility, electricity, and supplies. Israeli forces entered Shifa, disrupting operations and interrogating individuals. The Palestine Red Crescent Society can’t respond to numerous calls for assistance. Read the latest flash update on Gaza from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today, the Gaza team distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to serve 33,000 displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis. They also delivered enough fresh produce in Khan Younis, the middle area and Rafah, which is enough to produce 70,400 meals.
The team distributed 1,000 hygiene kits to school shelters in Rafah and 500 family kits to hosting families in the middle area. And the cleaning service continued its daily rotation to 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
November 15, 2023
Under the supervision of Anera’s staff, six trucks from World Central Kitchen have successfully entered Gaza carrying flour and green beans.
The Gaza team distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to serve 35,400 displaced people in UN shelters across Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They delivered enough fresh produce at UN schools in Khan Younis, Rafah and middle area, to make 88,000 meals. And the cleaning service continued its daily rotation to 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
The team is also in the process of packaging 5,000 food parcels, containing enough food to make 50,000 meals. Distribution of the parcels is scheduled in the next couple days.
November 14, 2023
Yesterday, the two main United Nations organizations responding in Gaza, the Relief and Works Agency and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs declared that their final fuel reservoir had been exhausted, resulting in the cessation of the assistance they have been providing in Gaza. This depletion will intensify the existing humanitarian crisis to unimaginable levels. Read the alert that the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) issued.
There are still hundreds of thousands of people in the northern governorates. They have received little aid since the evacuation orders were first ordered on October 13. OCHA reports that they are struggling to get enough water and food to stay alive. Many are drinking water from unsafe sources, which can lead to a slew of waterborne diseases.
Anera signed this joint open letter on the transfer of 155mm artillery shells to Israel.
We received today in Gaza two trucks from our partner, World Central Kitchen. This is the first of many trucks that will come in through Egypt. The contents are food aid.
Anera’s amazing Gaza team distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to provide 35,600 servings for displaced people in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered enough fresh produce to provide 74,800 meal servings. And the cleaning team continued rotations to 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis.
November 13, 2023
Attacks around Shifa Hospital in Gaza City increased on the afternoon of November 11. Important facilities like the oxygen station, water tanks, cardiovascular facility, and maternity ward were damaged. Three nurses died. Some, including displaced people and hospital staff, escaped, but others remain trapped inside due to fear or physical limitations. Read the latest flash update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team distributed enough meat-based hot meals to serve 15,800 displaced people in UN shelters in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They distributed enough fish-based meals to serve 15,000 in Khan Younis. And, they also delivered enough fresh produce to make 66,000 meals in Khan Younis, the middle area, and Rafah. And, Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis today.
November 12, 2023
Anera’s Gaza team distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to serve 39,200 displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. They delivered enough fresh produce in Khan Younis, the middle area, and Rafah to make 66,000 meals. They also completed the distribution of women and baby kits to UN shelters in Rafah, an initiative funded by Muslim Aid USA. And, Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis today.
November 11, 2023
From one of our colleagues in Gaza: “I am very lucky today because I succeeded in buying 25 kilos of flour after several days of searching. The price is not doubled, but quadrupled! It is really difficult now to find some essential food items in southern Gaza because of the huge numbers of displaced people.”
Our health team in Gaza received recordings from a doctor inside of Shifa Hospital. Listen to his report.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to serve 32,000 displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. They also delivered enough fresh produce in Khan Younis, the middle area, and Rafah to make 66,000 meals.
With support from Muslim Aid, Anera began distributing 1,000 women and baby kits to UN shelters in Rafah. These kits are specifically curated to cater to the diverse needs of families, with a particular focus on providing essential supplies for babies. The kits include crucial items such as baby milk powder, baby food, rice formula, and baby diapers. They also include hygiene essentials such as tissues, menstrual pads, shampoo, and soap.
Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis today.
November 10, 2023
On November 9th, more than 50,000 people evacuated from the north of Wadi Gaza, through a corridor designated by the Israeli military. OCHA monitors interviewed the displaced as they fled and most indicated that they did not know where they would spend the night. The UN has opened two new shelters in the south of Gaza, but every shelter is overcrowded. UN facilities are reporting an average of 160 people sharing each toilet and 700 people sharing each shower unit. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of residents still in the northern areas are trying to get enough water and food to survive.
Read the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs full flash update from November 9.
The Gaza team today distributed enough meat- and fish-based hot meals to serve 62,000 displaced people in Rafah, Khan Younis and the middle area. They also delivered enough fresh produce to make 88,000 meals. Anera’s cleaners serviced 10 UN shelters in Khan Younis today.
November 9, 2023
There are 864,000 displaced Gazans in overcrowded shelters that are ill-equipped to house so many people. (In just the past few days, some 65,000 people have fled south on foot, but shelters in the south do not have the space to accommodate the new arrivals.) UNOCHA reports that every toilet is shared by 160 people on average at UN shelters. To mitigate the spread of disease and prevent unsanitary conditions from worsening, Anera has been cleaning five shelters in Khan Younis, on a rotating basis, every day. Today, we have increased that number to 10 shelters daily.
Today, our amazing Gaza team distributed enough fish and meat based hot meals to serve 31,000 displaced people in Rafah, the middle area, and Khan Younis. They also delivered enough fresh produce to provide 77,000 meals. And finally, our staff was able to put together and distribute 1,000 food parcels with enough food for 16,000 meals.
November 8, 2023
Read our new blog post –> Gaza’s Water Crisis Puts Thousands at Risk of Preventable Death.
Anera’s Gaza team distributed hot meals, fish and meat based, to serve 61,000 people in shelters in Khan Younis, the middle area and Rafah. They also delivered to the same locations enough fresh produce to make 77,000 meals. As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain hygiene, Anera’s cleaners serviced five UN shelters.
November 7, 2023
Today and yesterday, Anera hosted medical days in Khan Younis, offering a range of free services, including medical examinations, dental care, dermatological care, pediatric care, general medicine, and nursing care, including wound dressings. Anera also supplied patients with medications such as analgesics to relieve pain, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, prenatal vitamins for women, gynecologic medications, and antifungal medication. The last is especially crucial during this time as fungal infections are on the rise among displaced individuals due to inadequate hygiene practices. The activity today was for women, while the one yesterday was for men. An estimated 1,000 displaced individuals attended. Read more.
Today, our remarkable Gaza team distributed the largest number of meals yet, despite enormous challenges. They successfully distributed a significant number of meals and provided essential support to those in need. They delivered to shelters in Khan Younis, Rafah and the middle area with enough meat and fish-based hot meals to provide 54,500 servings. Our Gaza staff also delivered, in the same locations, enough fresh produce to make 77,000 meals.
As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain hygiene, we continued our cleaning service at five UN shelters.
November 6, 2023
Anera’s Gaza staff distributed enough hot food to provide meals to 55,000 people in UN shelters across Khan Younis, the middle area and Rafah. Some of the meals were meat-based and some were fish. The team also provided enough fresh produce to make 66,000 meals. Distributions were to shelters in the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Anera’s cleaning service also continued at five UN shelters in Khan Younis.
Our health staff in Gaza today distributed a shipment of healthcare supplies we purchased in Jordan and brought through the Rafah border. The supplies were distributed very fast, to Palestinian Red Crescent branches, because they are in great demand. Items included syringes, bandages and IV solutions – all critical for treating wounds.
November 5, 2023
Our Gaza team distributed 500 hygiene kits designed especially for women in Rafah shelters. They contain items like menstrual pads that are critical for maintaining some level of comfort and dignity in profoundly difficult circumstances.
They also distributed hot meals, some with meat and some with fish, with enough food to serve 65,000 people. The food went to families sheltering in Rafah and Khan Younis. And the team provided enough fresh produce to make 66,000 meals. One-third went to the middle area, one-third to Khan Younis, and one-third to Rafah.
Anera’s cleaning teams continued their rotating service among the shelters in Khan Younis.
November 4, 2023
Anera’s staff in Gaza report that the situation is extremely dire, leaving them despondent as supplies dwindle. Hopelessness prevails as bombings devastate schools and hospitals, resulting in horrific deaths and injuries. Many in Gaza fear that Israel’s actions will lead to the complete destruction of everything.
In the past few days, tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have moved from staying with host families to public shelters in search of food and basic services. This has added strain to already overcrowded shelters. Currently, more than 530,000 people are taking refuge in 92 UN facilities in the Middle, Khan Younis, and Rafah regions. These shelters have surpassed their capacity and cannot accommodate newcomers, leading to many IDPs resorting to sleeping in the vicinity of the shelters for safety. Read the latest update from the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Gaza team distributed meat-based hot meals, with 40,000 servings, to shelters in Rafah and Khan Younis. The team also provided enough fresh produce for 65,000 meals to the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Anera’s cleaning teams continued to service five UN shelters in Khan Younis. They rotate to different shelters every day.
November 3, 2023
Today, Anera delivered into Gaza our first external shipment of aid since the start of the war on October 7. The shipment, sent in partnership with the Jordan Hashemite Charitable Organization and with the support of Americares, arrived through the Rafah crossing. The 14-pallet shipment, containing approximately 153,920 treatments, is part of the response to the dire healthcare situation resulting from the scarcity of medicines and medical supplies due to the war. Anera is now working with the UN and the Palestine Medical Relief Society to immediately deliver the shipment to key hospitals in Gaza that remain operational. Read the full press release.
Our Gaza team today distributed hot meals with enough food to feed 57,000 displaced people in UN shelters across Khan Younis, and Rafah. The meals are meat-based and fish-based. Gaza staff also distributed 1,500 fresh produce bundles to the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The bundles contain enough produce, picked directly from farms, to prepare 66,000 meals. We continue to re-clean five shelters a day in Khan Younis.
Our Gaza colleagues are determined to deliver food aid to overlooked and hard-to-reach populations of displaced individuals in Gaza City and further north. Over the last 48 hours, movement in the area has been exceptionally risky due to ground operations. However, after overcoming numerous challenges, and through careful coordination, our team managed to provide food aid to 1,250 displaced and hosting families in these areas. This courageous effort has provided food sufficient to supply 37,500 meals.
November 2, 2023
Anera moved 14 pallets of healthcare supplies from Jordan to El Arish Airport in Egypt. The shipment contains IV solutions, syringes, gauze, bandages, surgical gloves, catheters, and stents. Anera’s Jordan staff locally procured the items and has worked with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) to store and ship them. The Egyptian Red Crescent will transport the items to the border with Gaza for distribution to over-burdened, over-crowded hospitals struggling to treat those wounded in the war. This shipment provides items specifically requested by Gaza healthcare responders.
Anera moved 14 pallets of healthcare supplies from Jordan to El Arish Airport in Egypt. The shipment contains IV solutions, syringes, gauze, bandages, surgical gloves, catheters, and stents. Anera’s Jordan staff locally procured the items and has worked with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) to store and ship them. The Egyptian Red Crescent will transport the items to the border with Gaza for distribution to over-burdened, over-crowded hospitals struggling to treat those wounded in the war. This shipment provides items specifically requested by Gaza healthcare responders.
Despite regular airstrikes and low stocks of supplies, our colleagues in Gaza managed to procure enough food for 1,250+ parcels and send them UN shelters and hosting families in Gaza City and North Gaza. Each parcel has enough food to feed a family of five for six days.
Anera’s Gaza team today distributed hot meals with enough food to feed 50,000 displaced people in UN shelters across Khan Younis, and Rafah. The meals are meat-based and fish-based. Anera purchases daily the fish fresh from fish farms, thereby supporting their livelihoods, while providing very healthy meals. Gaza staff also distributed 1,500 fresh produce bundles to the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The bundles contain enough produce, picked directly from farms, to prepare 66,000 meals.
We continue to re-clean five shelters a day in Khan Younis.
For the first time since the war began, our Gaza team distributed 500 hygiene kits designed especially for women in Khan Younis shelters. They contain items like menstrual pads that are critical for maintaining some level of comfort and dignity in profoundly difficult circumstances.
November 1, 2023
Yesterday and today, the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza has been bombed with heavy airstrikes. The camp is densely populated and, though the casualty numbers are not yet fully known, the toll on civilians is tragic.
The director of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only hospital treating cancer patients in Gaza, reports that the hospital has closed down after running out of fuel and being damaged in bombings. Anera has long supported the work of this vital healthcare facility and the vulnerable patients who rely on it for their lives.
Our amazing Gaza team continues to deliver. Today, they distributed enough hot meals to feed 50,000 displaced people in UN shelters across Khan Younis and Rafah. They provided enough fresh produce in the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah for 66,000 meals. Also, they delivered parcels with enough food for 30,000 meals to shelters in Rafah.
Today, the Gaza team took a significant step to address the often overlooked needs of women during times of war. With support from Global Empowerment Mission, Anera has prepared 1,250 menstrual hygiene kits for distribution to UN shelters in Khan Younis. These kits are packed with essentials such as shampoo, soap, brushes, nail clippers, menstrual pads, wipes, sanitizer, deodorant, and vital undergarments for women. Anera is working closely with UNRWA to ensure the delivery of the kits tomorrow.
October 31, 2023
On 30 October, significant Israeli ground operations within Gaza continued for the fourth consecutive day, alongside intense bombardments…For the second consecutive day, the vicinities of two hospitals in Gaza City and northern Gaza have reportedly been bombarded, resulting in damage. All 13 hospitals that are still operational in these areas have received repeated Israeli evacuation orders in recent days. Thousands of patients and medical staff, as well as about 117,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), are staying in these facilities. For more details on the situation, read the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 24th Flash Update.
Today, Anera’s Gaza team distributed fish-based hot meals, feeding 15,000 people in Khan Younis UN shelters and 15,000 in Rafah UN shelters. The team distributed food parcels today to UN shelters in Rafah, with enough food for 30,000 meals. And, finally, they distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets, with 500 going to the middle area, 500 to Rafah, and 500 to Khan Younis. The produce provides enough food for 66,000 meals.
October 30, 2023
The crisis continues to intensify, along with the Israeli ground, air and naval assault. Resources across Gaza are disappearing and starvation is becoming a serious concern. Unless the situation changes dramatically, the efforts of Anera and other organizations can scarcely begin to address the food needs. People are becoming more desperate and agitated and rumors quickly swirl. Safe drinking water remains extremely scarce. Illnesses like Helicobacter pylori bacterial infections from drinking polluted water are increasingly common. The absence of fuel inhibits distribution of whatever resources are available.
Today, we distributed a total of 8,000 hot meals packages that contain three servings each. Families at UN Shelters in Khan Younis received 5,000 packages, and another 3,000 went to displaced people at UN shelters in Rafah. In total, we distributed 24,000 servings of fish meals today. Unfortunately, our team in Gaza weren’t able to provide meat-based meals today as the supplies are running low.
We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets, allocating 500 to the Middle Area, 500 to Rafah, and 500 to Khan Younis. This produce provides the raw ingredients for up to 66,000 meals.
October 29, 2023
Today we were finally able to speak with our Gaza team again for the first time in over 30 hours, as telecommunications services have been partially restored in Gaza.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is becoming more and more dire every day. The scarcity of fuel and supplies are forcing many life-saving aid operations in Gaza to significantly curtail operations.
We are continually assessing the security of our staff and our ability to operate. Along with the bombardment and complete collapse of services, as people grow more desperate civil unrest may pose a security risk when distributing food.
Anera continues to track the evolving humanitarian crisis on a daily basis, addressing the urgent needs where possible. As food supplies continue to diminish, we are stepping up our efforts by expanding our daily distribution of hot meals.
Today, we distributed a total of 18,000 hot meals, which included 8,000 fish meals and 10,000 meat meals. We also distributed 1,500 fresh produce baskets to the Middle Area, Rafah, and Khan Younis. This supply of produce provides support for up to 66,000 meals.
We continue to clean five UN shelters each day in Khan Younis to help maintain clean and safe conditions for displaced people seeking refuge.
October 28, 2023
Last night marked one of the darkest nights for our family in Gaza —both figuratively and literally. With no fuel and electricity, the situation has already grown even more dire. Adding to the already catastrophic circumstances, yesterday, Gaza experienced a complete telecommunications blackout further isolating them from the world as the ongoing bombardment intensified.
Despite these dire circumstances, we were shocked and very happy to see that some of our team members managed to regain internet access through alternative telecommunication carriers, sidestepping the Palestinian network. They contacted us in the morning and let us know they are all ok.
Also, to our surprise, our tireless heroes are on the ground right now delivering 24,000 servings of fish meals to the UN shelters in Rafah and the Middle area, along with 20,000 servings of meat meals to UN schools in Khan Younis. In total, 44,000 servings of hot meals were distributed.
In addition to these efforts, we are distributing 1,500 fresh produce baskets today, with 500 going to the Middle, 500 to Rafah, and 500 to Khan Younis. This provides enough supply of produce to support 66,000 meals.
October 27, 2023
Statement on Telecommunications Blackout in Gaza – 6:00pm ET
We have lost all communication with our Anera Gaza staff members. Most with connections in Gaza have lost complete contact with loved ones and colleagues, as destruction has impacted landline, cellular and internet services. As of this morning, our staff were all accounted for, but this is no longer a guarantee. Over the past 21 days, our 12-member team in Gaza has worked tirelessly to provide for their community by serving meals, delivering medicines to hospitals, and sanitizing shelters to prevent disease spread. While we were never able to properly ensure their safety during this unprecedented bombing campaign, we were always able to verify their locations and provide what little protection we could for them. That is now gone.
Equally important, essential services such as ambulance dispatches, hospital communications and rescue operations cannot communicate with one another. Even if medical and aid workers can reach those in need there is no way to confirm where they can be taken to provide life-saving care. We only expect these essential services to become even more vital as we receive reports of a potential ground incursion into the northern areas of Gaza.
This total blackout comes as Gaza’s health and water sectors have collapsed. Without fuel and due to damage from airstrikes, hospitals and healthcare clinics across Gaza have already been forced to shut down or severely reduce their services. Doctors are making horrifying decisions as to which of their emergency patients they can realistically treat. In Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, doctors reported days ago that the hospital is well over capacity, serving some 5,000 patients when it was originally designed to serve 700 people at a time. This number has surely risen. Medical staff are providing treatment and performing operations on the floors and in hallways, often without anesthesia or proper equipment and sanitation. The hospital is also hosting around 50,000 internally displaced persons. And now, today, we are horrified to hear increasing calls to evacuate and bomb Shifa Hospital.
Anera calls for an immediate ceasefire, as UN members have now called for, and the protection of civilians and the humanitarians who care for them, in the medical and broader aid fields. We ask you to join us in demanding an end to this decimation of life and humanity and to allow life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza. Please, now more than ever, people in Gaza need your support.
– Sandra Rasheed
Anera Palestine Country Director
Our Gaza team distributed a total of 41,000 servings of hot meals today. Specifically, they allocated 21,000 servings of fish and rice meals to UN shelters in Khan Younis and Rafah, while the remaining 20,000 servings of meat and rice meals were distributed to UN shelters in Khan Younis.
In addition to these hot meal deliveries, Anera distributed 1,500 produce baskets to UN shelters, evenly split among three regions: 500 in Gaza’s middle area, 500 in Rafah, and 500 in Khan Younis. Collectively, these baskets provide enough produce to prepare 66,000 meals.
Furthermore, our efforts continue in cleaning UN schools that are serving as shelters in the Khan Younis area, with 5 shelters being cleaned daily.
Despite our ongoing work, the fuel situation in Gaza remains critical. Anera, alongside numerous other humanitarian organizations in Gaza, urgently requires fuel to sustain our deliveries, sanitation efforts, water pumping, and medical aid support. Crucially, the lives of countless individuals depend on this essential resource. Therefore, we reiterate the urgent need for increased pressure to reopen the border and prioritize the delivery of vital fuel to effectively address this crisis.
October 26, 2023
From Anera’s country director in Lebanon, Samar El Yassir: “The war in Gaza has cast a heavy shadow over our hearts here in Lebanon. We find ourselves torn between the profound sorrow and anger we feel for our brothers and sisters in Palestine and the growing concern for Lebanon, a nation seemingly poised on the brink of war as well. It’s as if we’re standing on the edge of war, anxiously awaiting its start.” Read her blog post from yesterday.
Our Gaza team served 30,000 people with hot meals with meat and another 15,000 meals with fish to UN shelters in Khan Younis. We distributed 3,800 food parcels to UN shelters in Khan Younis and another 200 to hosting families in Rafah. The food in the parcels provides enough food for 100,000 meals. Our fresh produce bundles, 1,000 in all, went to UN shelters in the middle area and Khan Younis. There is food enough for 44,000 meals. We are also continue our regular cleaning service at UN shelters in Khan Younis.
October 25, 2023
Gaza’s water situation is catastrophic. The war has made the already fragile water and sanitation system in Gaza virtually inoperable. People in Gaza only have access to ~3 liters of water/day. Read more.
The Anera Gaza team delivered 13,000 meals, serving 26,000 people, to to UN shelters in Khan Younis. 11,500 of the meals were meat-based and 1,500 were fish. The team completed delivery of 700 parcels to locations in the north and Gaza City. The parcels contain enough food to make 21,000 meals.
Today, we delivered another 1,000 bundles of veggies, with 500 going to shelters in the middle area and 500 to Khan Younis shelters. These vegetables will make 44,000 meals.
Our cleaning service continued today at a UN shelters in Khan Younis.
October 24, 2023
Anera’s team delivered hot meals, enough for 26,000 servings, to people at UN shelters in Khan Younis. For the first time, we included fish meals that come from farms inside of Gaza.
The fresh produce Anera has been distributing is popular with families. Today, we delivered another 1,000 bundles of veggies, with 500 going to shelters in the middle area and 500 to Khan Younis shelters. These vegetables will make 44,000 meals.
Anera also continued our cleaning services at the UN shelters in Khan Younis. Each day Anera cleans five schools. So far, we’ve reached 25 shelters with the cleaning service, but our team is increasing the number of schools we service daily to 10, in order get more regular coverage for the 31 shelters in Khan Younis area.
October 23, 2023
The situation in Gaza remains dire. Al Shifa Hospital lacks essential supplies like water, food, and medicine. Many patients are in imminent danger of losing their lives. The aid coming through Egypt is meager so far, consisting of only 10 trucks of bottled water and a very limited amount of food. The deliveries barely scratch the surface of the community’s needs. And the process of getting aid in is extremely cumbersome. Trucks from Egypt cannot pass into Gaza. The aid is transferred at the border to PRCS and UNRWA trucks. No vehicles are allowed to travel beyond Deir Al Balah, the middle area of Gaza. While 40 trucks are expected today, the scale of assistance falls short of what is urgently required. The call for increased pressure to open the border and prioritize the delivery of essential fuel remains critical to addressing this crisis.
Today, our amazing Gaza team distributed 5,000 food parcels. Out of these, we sent 4,000 to UN shelters in the Rafah area, and another 1,000 to hosting families across the north and Gaza City. This shipment will provide 25,000 people with food for 150,000 meals. We also provided 3,000 hygiene kits to displaced families in Deir Al Balah and 10,000 hot meals, serving two adults each, have gone to families in UNRWA shelters in Khan Younis. Finally, the team collected from farmers and agricultural cooperatives, 1,000 fresh produce bundles which they distributed to UN shelters in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis. These vegetables serve 5,000 and can make 44,000 meals.
Today, Anera’s contracted cleaning agency, sanitized an additional five UN schools, bringing the total to 20 UN schools cleaned so far.
Fuel scarcity is a critical issue, with lives hanging in the balance. The Anera team in Gaza was able to procure inside of Gaza 1,180 liters of fuel which they delivered to a desalination plant in Beit Hanoun. This amount of fuel will allow the plant to process 800,000 liters of water.
October 22, 2023
The situation in Gaza is calamitous. Gaza is in a humanitarian crisis. Services and support have collapsed, and people are dying without water. Our staff is struggling to find trucks, fuel, and food to help as many of their fellow Gazans as possible. People are reaching out to our staff, pleading for help. Today, just 14 trucks came in through Rafah, which will not come close to addressing the desperate situation. In the meantime, wireless service is vanishing, further isolating Gaza from the world.
While Anera aid from outside still has not gone into Gaza, our Gaza team still managed to distribute enough food for 175,000 meals today.
October 21, 2023
Twenty trucks from various organizations carrying humanitarian aid came into Gaza today through the Rafah border. They included two trucks of water, 13 with medicines, two with tuna, and three with a mix of food parcels, blankets, and other necessities. Though it is great news, it is a trickle of what is needed. Anera is still waiting with many other aid organizations to get in vital medicines and supplies.
Anera has purchased and stored medical supplies in Jordan that are ready to go to Gaza. We are coordinating with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization to send them as soon as possible.
And, against all odds, our amazing Anera Gaza team continues to deliver food to displaced families in shelters. To date, the Anera community has served 100,000 displaced people with hot meals and delivered food parcels providing another 600,240 meals to displaced families.
The team also has been procuring fresh vegetables for families. So far, they have delivered enough for 75,000 meals. Included in these bundles of veggies are potatoes and eggplants, which displaced families specifically requested. They put together makeshift fires and use the oil Anera provided in the food parcels and they cook them on the spot. (Anera is also working to include aluminum foil in our distributions, to make cooking easier.)
Read the latest Gaza Flash Update from UNOCHA.
View Anera CEO and President Sean Carrol speaking about the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Canadian TV. For more, please visit our In the News page.
October 20, 2023
Yesterday and today have been incredibly challenging for the people living in Gaza, and the situation is growing even more dire. Our team on the ground, however, continues to work to provide essential aid.
They successfully delivered 10,000 hot meals, ensuring that at least 20,000 displaced people in UN shelters in Khan Younis had a warm meal today.
Additionally, they sent 338 food parcels to a hospital in Gaza City, where many children with cancer are getting treatment. These food parcels will feed the children and their families, as there is currently no food available for them at the hospital. Working in coordination with the Palestine Red Crescent, we provided these families with enough food to last them for at least 6 days.
Our Gaza team also delivered 400 food parcels to Beit Lahia in North Gaza to help displaced families in schools there. These parcels will provide meals to 2,000 people daily.
The team also distributed 1,000 baskets filled with vegetables today, serving 5,000 displaced people. Among these, 500 baskets went to UN school shelters in Khan Younis, while the other 500 to Deir Al Balah shelters.
Anera hired a cleaning agency, and today they began providing cleaning services to five UN shelters. The aim is to sanitize the shelters and improve hygiene conditions for the residents in order to minimize the spread of diseases. The workers from the cleaning agency themselves are also among the displaced, so they are able to earn money while helping their fellow displaced Gazans.
October 19, 2023
Anera’s Gaza team distributed 7,500 hot meal packages (each with two servings), 4,000 food parcels and 500 vegetable baskets to UNRWA schools in Khan Younis where displaced families are sheltering. They also were able to deliver 150 food parcels to families in Jabalia refugee camp in the north. The families there had not eaten for two days. The Anera team there plans more distributions in the coming days.
Our West Bank staff is working on service contracts to thoroughly clean five UNRWA schools. Despite best efforts and intentions, the overcrowding in shelters means that sanitary conditions inevitably are deteriorating and the threat of illnesses is increasing.
As for water, our colleagues in Gaza have been working for a few days to get a generator functioning in the Zawaydeh area of Deir Al Balah. They succeeded today! This is great news for 100,000 people in the area who can now get access to clean water. We also are working to procure, within Gaza, 3,500 cases of water, a total of 21,000 liters, to be distributed to displaced families.
Today, our Jordan team finalized and delivered 18 pallets (162,000 items) of high quality medical supplies, locally procured from Jordan, to be shipped to Gaza when a humanitarian corridor opens.
October 18, 2023
Anera’s Gaza team distributed 7,500 hot meals, 4,000 food parcels and 5,000 hygiene kits to displaced families sheltering in UNRWA schools located in Khan Younis. The quantity in the meals feeds two adults or three children. The food parcels can feed families of five for approximately five days. In some cases, we have been delivering the food in bulk, to expedite the aid deliveries.
Please see OCHA’s Flash Update #11 for the latest details on the situation in Gaza.
Anera FAQs on October 2023 War in Palestine-Israel.
October 17, 2023
Today, Anera delivered 7,500 hot meals to UN shelters in Khan Younis governorate. Each meal serves 15,000 displaced adults or 22,500 children. There are 32 active school shelters in the Khan Younis Governorate. Each shelter accommodates about 500 families, which means there are about 2,500 displaced people per shelter.
Anera’s Gaza team is also distributing food parcels and hygiene kits in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah. The distribution of these items will take place today and tomorrow.
We are working with our partner World Central Kitchen on these vital distributions.
October 16, 2023
Today, Anera Gaza staff distributed 1,000 food parcels. Some 350 went to hosting families in Deir Al Balah. Through our local partners, we are prepared and distributed 7,500 hot meals, which served 15,000 displaced people sheltering in UNRWA schools in the south.
October 15, 2023
Update at 12:00 pm, Gaza time: Anera’s Gaza team has prepared 4,000 food parcels for immediate distribution to displaced families sheltering at UNRWA schools in the Khan Younis Governorate. The parcels include canned beans, dates, jam, halva, biscuits, canned tuna, beef, canned corn, tomato paste, sauces, powdered milk, and cheese. Anera purchased all of the items locally from a vendor close to the schools and UN trucks are delivering the food.
Read the latest report from UNOCHA >>>
October 14, 2023
The Israeli Government has again called for hospitals in the northern parts of Gaza to evacuate to the south. This means everyone — patients in ICUs, babies in neonatal units, those that were fighting chronic health and other life-threatening diseases prior to the war, and the thousands of people who have been injured in the attacks. Anera strongly condemn any attacks on Gaza hospitals and evacuation orders in violation of principles of humanitarian and human rights law, as they jeopardize the protection of wounded and sick individuals. Read our full statement.
Over the past three days, Anera’s Gaza team distributed food parcels to 2,000 displaced families – 1,500 in northern areas on October 12-13 and 500 in the Zawayda area today. The team also distributed 850 hygiene kits in Zawayda today.
Anera is now in the process of assembling 5,000 food parcels, containing ready-to-eat items like milk and biscuits. The vendor is in close proximity to UNRWA schools housing displaced families.
October 13, 2023
According to International Humanitarian Law, collective punishment is a war crime and forcible transfer is a crime against humanity. We call for the mass evacuation order issued to 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza to be immediately revoked. That is plain for all to see. Read our full statement.
October 12, 2023
We received this film from our extraordinary videographer in Gaza, Ibrahim Zaanoun. Tragically, his house was destroyed today and his family is now sheltering in a school.
From one of our staff members in Gaza today: My family and I are safe now, but not safe the next moment. I am staying in my home at Tel El Hawa, 500 meters away from Islamic University. We witnessed a very horrible night on Monday when the whole neighborhood near my home was completely destroyed. You can say that we are alive, but also dead. With no expectation of what will happen next, we are tired, tense, traumatized, and exhausted. It is a pity to feel that we, the Palestinians, are off the world’s agenda.
We have our emergency bag ready so we can leave for a “safer” place at a moment’s notice. I look into my daughter’s eyes as seeks reassurance and I have nothing to say. It’s killing me as a parent. So we try to get our strength back to support our loved ones and deal with all of this as a stage in our life. The morning light comes again to give us hope for a better tomorrow. Wal alhamdolellah. We get our strength from Allah.
October 11, 2023
According to UNOCHA, some 200,000 of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, have been displaced after fleeing for fear of their lives or after their homes were destroyed or damaged by airstrikes. Most of them are taking shelter in UNRWA’s schools, at least two of which have already been damaged by airstrikes in the area. The Gaza power plant has officially run out of fuel.
Our Gaza colleagues report that people are evacuating their neighborhoods, although there are limited spaces designated for shelter and no place is really safe. It is not uncommon for upwards of five families to crowd into one home, seeking shelter with their relatives. On top of that, there are incidents of false evacuation orders. One person talked about carrying his invalid mother down seven stories and carrying her back up – more than once – upon learning of false evacuation orders. Another person said “I’m not going to leave. I’d rather die with dignity in my home.”
Anera response
Anera is concentrating on procuring food parcels, water, and hygiene kits for displaced families, and coordinating with the UN and other organizations to ensure all essential relief areas are covered. Anera’s staff in Gaza are working with local vendors to coordinate immediate purchases of items like food, water, hygiene kits, blankets, and mattresses.
We are putting together food parcels over the next 24 hours, to be distributed with hygiene kits, to displaced families in UNRWA schools.
In the month leading up to the beginning of the war, Anera we distributed 22,000 doses of prenatal and multivitamins, 48,000 treatments of antibiotics and medicines for hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases, and healthcare supplies including cotton, gauze, syringes, water purifying tablets, and Vaseline to treat injuries and burns. Our medical donations team is communicating closely with international partners to procure additional medicines and essential medical supplies, which we hope to send through the Rafah, Gaza border with coordination from partners in Jordan.
An update from Anera staff in the West Bank
According to Anera’s staff in the West Bank, the situation there is very tense and people are worried about a large-scale war. Apart from some shortages in food shops, so far life is relatively normal within towns and cities — but travel using main roads between population centers is not permitted. And there are new checkpoints and gates, like the one that the Israelis are installing between Hebron and Halhoul. Israeli citizens have been asked to secure food, water and medicine for 72 hours.
October 10, 2023
Reports from our staff suggest that the intensity of the bombing that Gaza is now experiencing is unprecedented. News reports indicate that Israel is preparing to launch a ground invasion into Gaza. Israeli airstrikes have hit Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border twice in the last day, prompting its closure on the Egyptian side.
WHO reports that hospital stocks of medical supplies are becoming depleted due to the border closures. Today, the United Nations called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.
Anera’s staff in Gaza are currently procuring 2,000 food parcels to distribute to displaced families. Since the families can’t cook, we’re sending out ready-to-eat foods. These packaged foods require no refrigeration before opening. The parcels include jam, dates, feta, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, corned beef, tuna, kidney beans, za’atar, olive oil, dukka (seasoning), and bread that should last six to 10 days for a family of five.
Anera is also procuring 3,000 hygiene kits – in addition to the 800 we’re distributing – and we are actively working to buy drinking water locally in Gaza.
We are stocking up on medical supplies and medicines at our Hebron distribution center so that we can deliver immediately to Gaza when a humanitarian corridor opens.
Three of our staff have been displaced. One has had to move with his family between the houses of relatives multiple times, making the painful decision to separate shelters for his children in case the worst happens. Other staff are sheltering in our offices.
October 9, 2023
Israel has issued a complete and full closure of Gaza. Stocks of all kinds will run low quickly.
Residents of the Rimal area of Gaza City received evacuation orders, which has affected some of Anera’s staff as well as the office. The hospital in Beit Hanoun is no longer functioning, due to the bombing. And, according to OCHA, more than 120,000 people in Gaza have been displaced.
In the next days, Anera is concentrating on procuring and distributing food parcels, water, and hygiene kits to displaced families. We are also distributing hygiene kits to 800 families now.
October 8, 2023
The unprecedented escalation in the war that began on October 7 in Palestine and Israel have already created significant humanitarian needs that are almost certain to grow substantially.
The situation is precarious as Israel’s response to the crisis remains uncertain. We do know, though, that the crisis has led to the displacement of as many as 70,000 people in the north of Gaza, who are now seeking shelter in schools and homes. Jabalia is just one of the many areas severely affected and it is clear that other areas may soon witness similar mass displacements. This uncertainty underscores the urgency of providing humanitarian assistance to those affected.
Anera’s focus is on the humanitarian aspect of the crisis. We are dedicated to supporting those caught in the crossfire, the innocent casualties of war. Our Palestinian staff are participating in all relevant humanitarian coordination bodies to ensure coordinated and appropriate local and international response.
Anera FAQs on October 2023 War in Palestine-Israel
A few days ago, Anera delivered 12,000 bags of IV solutions to Gaza’s largest hospital just in time for the emergency. And, in the next couple days, we are distributing hygiene kits to displace families in UNRWA schools. Our medical aid team is in contact with our international partners for donated medical supplies. They are also looking into procuring items on the local market, Our staff in Gaza and the West Bank are reaching out to vendors for immediate purchase of relief supplies like hygiene kits, food, water, blankets and mattresses.
Anera has distribution centers in the West Bank and Gaza to act as staging areas for dispatching relief supplies where they are most needed, when conditions allow.
We are ready to respond to what will likely be a large humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank.
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