Facts about Mercy Corps in Gaza

We continue to work with the United Nations, donors and partner organizations to monitor relief shipments into and distributions within Gaza, as well as plan longer-term recovery efforts. We have 25 staff members inside Gaza as well as other staff in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Egypt.

The post-ceasefire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is grim. Some aspects of life are returning to normal in Gaza with people out on the streets and in markets. But Palestinian authorities say that 1,300 have been killed, more than 5,000 injured, 22,000 buildings destroyed or damaged, and almost $2 billion of damage done. The UN says 15,000 people remain in shelters. MC's program manager in Gaza says these new homeless "need everything."

The psychological toll on civilians, particularly children, has been enormous. Civilians — especially children and young people — have been traumatized by three weeks of violence. Psychosocial programs have restarted with training for staff and home visits to assess the needs of the 700-plus children Mercy Corps worked with before the conflict. This work will be significantly expanded.

Mercy Corps' efforts are shifting from relief to recovery. We have received a $1.3-million grant from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to revamp and expand our psychosocial work, and improve living conditions and drinking-water access for families whose homes were damaged. We continue our work to distribute emergency relief items to 100,000 Gazans in need, but have shifted our focus to helping civilians rebuild their lives in the long term. In total, Mercy Corps has raised more than $2 million and secured $500,000 worth of material goods to support our efforts.

Mercy Corps and our partner ROTA have 12 trucks filled with 215 tons of flour and macaroni sitting at the El Auja border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. We are still attempting to get this food into Gaza, but we may eventually have to turn back all or part of the convoy. Israeli authorities recently told us that macaroni was not approved to enter Gaza, but they could not produce a list of approved food items. We do not know why the entire convoy is being delayed.

Aid should flow freely into the Gaza Strip, and foreign humanitarian-aid workers should be allowed in. Barriers to access remain burdensome. The flow of aid was increasing, but was interrupted by renewed violence this week. In general, access is still restricted and not nearly enough to satisfy needs. Humanitarian aid workers have also described challenges getting permission to enter Gaza. Not only is more manpower is needed, but also expertise in fields such as logistics and psychosocial support.

Mercy Corps provided Gazan youth a unique voice in the conflict. A brave network of 500 young people in the Gaza Strip — participants in Mercy Corps' Global Youth Connectivity program — sent SMS messages, blogged and conducted interviews to help tell they world what this conflict looks and feels like on the ground for them and their families. Read the youth blog.

Despite significant obstacles, Mercy Corps is getting aid to families who need our help. Among the most recent deliveries: four truckloads of USAID-funded Mercy Corps relief items entered Gaza the week of Feb. 2. These supplies included soap, water purification tablets, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and food such as canned goods, oil and noodles. All will be repackaged and distributed to 1,000 families starting on Feb. 8. We also signed a $750,000 agreement with USAID and ARD to provide additional items including shampoo, toothpaste, diapers, pillows, blankets and food, which will help approximately 2,000 families in need.

Because of difficulty getting aid into Gaza, Mercy Corps has resorted to collecting, buying and distributing items within Gaza. We have distributed mattresses, pillows, blankets, powdered milk, plastic sheeting and other goods to hundreds of families in Rafah, Jabaliya, Khan Younis and Gaza City. All of these items were purchased in the territory, where prices are high and competition for goods is stiff.

Even before the military action, Mercy Corps programs were struggling to operate because of Israel's frequent closure of the Gazan border, which led to fuel rationing and electricity and water shortages.

For example, our program that employs out-of-work Gazans to sew gowns and linens for local hospitals has slowed due to a lack of electricity to run the sewing machines. Staff are also paying two to two-and-a-half times more for fabric that's of a lower quality than was available before the closure.

Before the 22-day conflict, Mercy Corps offered members of the most vulnerable Gazan families short-term jobs in clothesmaking, food production, and education. Our presence in Gaza dates to 2005, when we distributed much-needed medical supplies, food packages, cooking fuel, and kitchenware to families affected by border closures.

Our programs also offer recreational activities to children to help them deal with conflict-related trauma, build self-esteem and interactive skills. We also reach Gazans through our Middle East youth exchange project, Global Youth Connectivity, which connects hundreds of Palestinian youth in Gaza and the West Bank with their U.S. peers at high schools in the American Northwest.

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