ALLMEP members deliver food during times of immense hardship and humanitarian crisis for Palestinian families in the West Bank and Gaza
Since October 7th, restrictions on work, movement, and economic gain have brought immense hardships to families in the West Bank. Many have gone with limited resources and other difficulties over the last several months. In Gaza, Palestinians are facing a humanitarian crisis with lack of resources, food, and basic necessities. As Palestinian Muslim communities across the region turn to observe the holy month of Ramadan, many of our members are rallying to support these communities in need, including those communities in Gaza facing immeasurable devastation and suffering. They have been delivering food packages, serving hot meals, and attempting to get more aid into Gaza every day.
Last week, ALLMEP member Parents Circle – Families Forum launched a campaign, urging supporters to, “Please join our bereaved Israeli members and the American friends in raising funds for Ramadan packages for 300 bereaved Palestinian families who have devoted their lives for peace. Your contribution of $100 will provide a Ramadan package to one deserving family, including essential items such as flour, oil, dates, tea, sugar, and various dried and canned foods.”
ALLMEP member, Rabbis for Human Rights, is running a similar initiative, aiming to support a benchmark goal of 750 families struggling for basic necessities this month of Ramadan. They wrote, “In Jerusalem over 6 tonne of food aid was packed in two intensive packing days, with dozens of volunteers coming together with a shared vision. Today the amazing Jerusalem activists invited families to take part and kids drew Ramadan cards for the deliveries.” Help support their efforts here.
Sulha Peace Project, also an ALLMEP member, have been putting together and distributing food baskets to families in need, raising money to do so in real time. They wrote in a recent post on Instagram, “We appeal to you in this difficult time, in a call for humanitarian solidarity, to donate to Sulha and help us purchase food baskets for Palestinians living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.”
Or ALLMEP Member, Rebuilding Alliance, who is working in partnership with the World Food Programme to deliver hot meals to Palestinians in Gaza. They are currently serving over 70,000 hot meals a day in multiple locations throughout Gaza with the help of community-based organizations (CBO) and Neighborhood Kitchen Teams. They are raising money to support these efforts, “This Ramadan, let’s remember our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza, whom adversity has not spared. Together, we have the power to alleviate hunger and provide hot meals to families who are facing unimaginable challenges in Gaza.”
These activities take place as other ALLMEP members have been trying to get additional aid into Gaza to prevent further starvation and support those in Gaza who so desperately need humanitarian aid and emergency resources. Rabbis for Human Rights were at Ashdod Port alongside Zazim, demanding that the Israeli Government allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The protest was met by violence from counter demonstrators.
Similarly, ALLMEP member, Standing Together, has been trying to escort convoys of food and emergency aid to the Gaza border. These convoys were twice stopped by police and military forces last week. Standing Together wrote, “We demand that our government does everything in its power to increase the supply of aid to the Gaza Strip, and reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal to save the lives of innocent people in Gaza and to bring the hostages back.”
Collectively, these efforts help to illustrate the way in which our community of peacebuilders has rallied during this unprecedented crisis. In a recent survey ALLMEP conducted, we found that more than one quarter of ALLMEP members had increased their programming to meet this moment, including by mounting activities such as these to provide critical support to some of the most vulnerable people in the region.
