Right now, our staff in Gaza and the West Bank are risking their own lives every day as they tirelessly work to help women and girls who have lost everything. Knowing that they are not alone, that there are people around the world who are supporting their efforts, helps give them the strength to keep going.
We are asking you to show our colleagues in Gaza and theWest Bank you stand with them by sharing a message of support.
Here are just a couple of messages we have already received from our amazing supporters. Please do keep them coming, they really do mean so much to our colleagues in the West Bank and Gaza:
Thank you for your strength, the whole world is watching the amazing work you're doing for the people of Gaza and the West Bank. Your work will never be forgotten. You are true heroes." - Catherine
Your courage and humanity is truly inspirational and my heart goes out to you as you struggle to ease the pain of people who are suffering so dreadfully." - Carol
Nowhere in Gaza is safe
In Gaza, CARE and partner staff live amidst the bombing, having had to flee their own homes. They live in shelters for displaced people, often sharing tiny tents or rooms with dozens of family members or even strangers.
Despite this, our dedicated team and partners in Gaza are working tirelessly round the clock to distribute aid to families who have lost everything during this war. Since October, CARE has been able to support over 250,000 people with over 153,000 liters of water, helped 68,000 people through our mobile clinics, distributed over 3,000 dignity kits to women and girls, and made sure that over 11,000 people have the necessary tools and items to fix broken tents and shelters.
From the West Bank – “it feels like we are dying”
Those watching the unbearable suffering happening in Gaza from less than 30 miles away in the West Bank face daily attacks and have restricted movement due to the checkpoints that are spread everywhere between the cities. They have lost countless friends and family members in Gaza.
Razan, a CARE colleague in the West Bank, tells us:
“I never imagined that in any given circumstance I would bear this much pain. Every minute, every hour, every day, watching people dying in Gaza, it feels like we are dying.”
Samir also lives and works in the West Bank. When conflict broke out, it became impossible for him to be with his family in Gaza:
“I am feeling torn into a million pieces. It is as if my mind, heart, and soul were still in Gaza under attack, while my body is elsewhere, in safety.”
The strength to keep going
The one thing that keeps our colleagues like Razan and Samir going is knowing that their work is making a difference.
Razan tells us:
“The only thing that gives me the strength to wake up every morning and go to work is this: I am a humanitarian.
“The only reason you see me sitting in this chair, in this office working non-stop with tears in my eyes and a broken heart is this: I am a humanitarian.”
It takes a great deal to keep going in circumstances as horrific as they are in Gaza right now. This International Women’s Day, please help give our colleagues the strength they need to keep saving lives in Gaza by sharing your message of support:
We need a ceasefire NOW
Ultimately, the only way to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza is a ceasefire. On International Women’s Day, CARE has joined other NGOs in the UK to call for an immediate and permanent #CeaseFireForHer. Help amplify our message by liking and sharing our posts on social media.
