War in the Middle East

The war in the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for months, has led to devastating destruction and catastrophic humanitarian conditions. Since October 2023, there have been over 42,000 deaths. The situation in the Gaza Strip is chaotic, health care has collapsed in many places, and there is an acute shortage of water and food. More than a million people are still at risk of hunger. Infectious diseases are spreading at an alarming rate. The civilian population has been displaced several times and there is no longer any place that is safe. And with the renewed escalation of violence between Hezbollah and Israel in the border area with Lebanon, the humanitarian crisis is now threatening to spiral completely out of control.

Since the fighting began in the Gaza Strip, more than 1.9 million people (90% of the population) have been forced from their homes. They are seeking refuge in tent camps, although the extent of the destruction there is also enormous, and the basic supply of essential goods cannot be guaranteed. Due to access restrictions, far too few supplies are still reaching the Gaza Strip, their distribution is associated with major challenges and in some places is even impossible.

Humanitarian response

Despite these challenges, HEKS continues to work tirelessly for the suffering civilian population. HEKS has been working in the Gaza Strip since 2006 and was therefore able to quickly launch life-saving emergency program after the outbreak of hostilities. The HEKS office is currently located in southern Gaza Strip in the city of Deir El Balah.

Since the beginning of the war, HEKS has been supporting the displaced civilian population in the Gaza Strip by providing clay ovens for baking bread, water, hygiene kits, cash assistance, agricultural supplies, shelter kits and a telephone hotline for psychosocial and medical counselling, as well as psychological support for traumatized people.

HEKS/EPER and its local partners have provided Cash Assistance to 1,468 vulnerable Gazan households which supported them to access their basic needs such as food, water and medicines. It also worked with local partners to provide Mental Health and Psychological Support Services to 11,287 women, men and children.

Currently HEKS/EPER is working with 485 households to provide shelter improvement materials to 485 households as well as Cash. These shelter materials such as tarpaulins and ropes will help families to build new shelters or improve their existing shelters as winter approaches by providing insulation and reducing the impact of flooding. In addition families are also receiving bedding materials such as blankets and mattresses.

Our staff in Gaza work in extremely difficult conditions. They have been displaced several times and have just had to move to another office. Projects are therefore adapted quickly and flexibly to the ever-changing situation and needs.

Civitas

In the West Bank and Israel, HEKS and its partner organizations continue to support communities that have been particularly affected by the ongoing escalation of violence. HEKS is also strengthening the civil initiatives of its Israeli and Palestinian partner organizations that are working to end the spiral of violence and protect the rights of all people.

Ma'an

HEKS calls for an immediate ceasefire and respect for international humanitarian law

The human rights situation in the Occupied Territories has been a cause for concern for years. With the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip since Hamas's brutal attack on Israel on 7 October, the loss of civilian life and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have reached new dimensions, leading to catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

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HEKS/EPER supports suffering civilians

Humanitarian response

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