Gaza Response

PLEASE DONATE TODAY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED IN GAZA.

Up to 1.7 million people are displaced in Gaza– that’s more than 75% of the population having no choice but to shelter in community buildings like schools, makeshift shelters, or out in the open. There is severe overcrowding and disease is spreading. People don’t have what they need to protect themselves or their families from the harsh winter weather.

Items like tarpaulins and rope will help people repair damaged buildings and make shelters watertight. Blankets, mattresses, pillows, and ground mats will help people stay warm. We are also providing hygiene kits (diapers, toothbrushes, and sanitary items), water carriers, and kitchen sets for clean water, food prep, and hygiene. Vital items for people with no belongings and unable to return home.

Image credit – Mohammed Zaanoun

Access to water, food, and medicine is very difficult. It’s made worse by fuel shortages. Without electricity, people cannot use lights in the dark evenings, keep warm, or cook food.

Together with our partner MAP, we’ll be sourcing items in Egypt and Türkiye. The situation is complex, but our aid will reach people via the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.

Update 06/05/2024:

Trucks loaded with life-saving aid—including tarps, rope, water carriers, blankets, mattresses, and floor mats—have successfully crossed into Gaza, and distributions are actively underway by our local partner, MAPs. These crucial supplies are essential for making temporary repairs to bombed-out buildings, creating makeshift shelters, and providing warmth and comfort to those caught in the crossfire.

With more than 80% of homes damaged or destroyed and 75% of people in Gaza displaced, this shipment of emergency supplies is a lifeline. Distributions are ongoing, and more aid is waiting to cross the border.

We are expanding our operations to address the urgent demand and have additional aid en route. Our tents have arrived in Egypt, and we expect more tents to arrive in Jordan shortly, where our ShelterBox team is on the ground working through supply chain logistics.

The situation in Gaza remains dangerous, unpredictable, and complex. Despite these challenges, we are committed to bringing much-needed relief to those affected by this crisis. We are urgently seeking your support to continue this life-saving work.

Update 05/03/2024: After months of challenges, trucks with ShelterBox aid are ready to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, with the support of our partner Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). This is a significant milestone in what has been a complex situation. These trucks carry items vital for survival.

The trucks are in a queue of up to 1,400 other vehicles. We hope our aid will cross into Gaza in the next couple of days, but the situation can be unpredictable.

We have contingency plans in place with our local partners to make sure that our aid still reaches people who need it, should there be a ground offensive in Rafah. The situation is complex and changing all the time but our partners on the ground have strong community networks and are ready to adapt as needed. We have warehouses in Rafah, and we have secured another warehouse, with the help of Rotar, Jordan, ensuring the aid can be diverted there if needed.

We have more aid on the move. We are using two separate aid routes into Gaza to get tents to people without shelter in the coming weeks.

ShelterBox has initiated an urgent fundraising campaign to address the pressing needs in Gaza and other crisis-stricken areas globally.

Your contribution is crucial in enabling us to swiftly deliver emergency shelter and vital supplies to those displaced in Gaza and beyond. Your support today will directly impact those most in need, ensuring essential aid reaches them promptly.

Please donate now to make a difference.

ShelterBox responded in Gaza in 2004, 2008, and 2015. In the 2015 response, we supported the family of Mohammed Eid, known as Moh. He and his family received a ShelterBox tent and other aid after their home was destroyed in an air strike.  

“Tents became a precious commodity. Thankfully, we had a tent when we needed it most, immediately after losing our house. It offered almost everything we needed within the first 24 hours following displacement. Along with the tent came mattresses, blankets, a first aid kit, and a food package.” 

Now living in the USA and working for Rotary International, Moh has shared with us his experiences in Gaza. He has also shared his response to the current crisis taking place there.  

READ MOH’S STORY

Moh standing in the remains of his family’s home after it was destroyed in airstrikes in 2014.