Dear Friend,

Life in Gaza before Saturday, December 27, 2008 was a humanitarian crisis. Today it is a nightmare.

I just got off the phone this morning with Salah, our Director in Gaza. Within the three-hour window of a "humanitarian corridor" when bombings have stopped so people can run out for food and supplies, he and one other staff member were able to get to the ANERA office.

Salah's next step in the short time of safety, is to go to the homes of staff members who have not been in touch to confirm their safety. He was able to report that most staff continue to be unharmed, but we cannot say they are safe. Psychologically, they are feeling the toll. Some are now displaced from their homes. They don't have electricity and they are running out of water and food. This story is the same for every family living in Gaza.

As soon as it is safe we will start distributing food, medicine and medical supplies. 

And in addition to repairing buildings, peoples' lives will need restoration as well. More than half the population of Gaza is under the age of 18. No one living there feels safe right now. Recovery from this trauma will take special care. Our psychologist in Gaza reports that 75% of families needed help coping with life in Gaza before the bombings. Today it is 100% because even schools are unsafe. We are preparing a major program focusing on the psychological health of children and their families who will need help recovering, so they may feel safe again.

We are beginning an ongoing needs assessment and the list of priorities for providing help in Gaza continues to grow.

I want to thank everyone who has written to us expressing concern for the well-being of our staff and all of the innocent families hurting in Gaza right now. 

One way to help is to remind everyone of the devastation innocent families were living through before bombs started dropping.

We have added a page to our website - anera.org/gaza_compare - to share far and wide with friends and family who want to better understand life in Gaza before the bombardment and how it is today.

Also, we are regularly posting updates on our website. Keep an eye on our homepage for updates from staff, press releases and other ways to help.

Thank you for your ongoing support.


Bill Corcoran
President

Posted January 7, 2009