Meet the people delivering lifesaving aid in Gaza
At the heart of the lifesaving aid being delivered by DEC charities and their partners in Gaza, are local aid workers. People who despite dealing with enormous challenges personally and professionally, continue to make incredible sacrifices to help others.
DEC charities and their local partners in Gaza have continued to adapt their work to deal with new challenges throughout the crisis, and since the ceasefire they have been able to scale up their response and support people returning to their communities.
Meet Saleem
Saleem works for the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Gaza, who have been supporting some of the hundreds of thousands of people returning to northern Gaza. Many of these people are finding their homes have been destroyed and are now living in makeshift displacement camps. Health packages distributed by Saleem and his team, containing simple cleaning products to remove bacteria, are aimed at reducing the spread of disease.
The harsh winter weather in Gaza has further worsened living conditions in camps. "We have had several cases where people have died because of the cold and the rain that is hitting the Gaza Strip at this time,” explains Saleem.
With the price of clothing still extremely high, PRCS have been distributing warm clothes to people who were forced to flee their homes many months ago, unable to plan ahead for the cold months.
The mere feeling that we had helped, that we had alleviated even a fraction of their suffering, was what kept us going. Despite all the hardships we endured, knowing that we contributed in some way, it was that small glimmer of hope."
Saleem, aid worker in Gaza
Meet Dr Salwa*
Dr Salwa* is an obstetrician and gynaecologist working for Juzoor, a local partner organisation of DEC charities Age international, Care International, International Rescue Committee and Oxfam. Her team is providing essential medical services to pregnant women in Gaza.
“The situation for pregnant and breastfeeding women was so bad during the conflict. All of our clinics were destroyed,” she explains.
Dr Salwa* is an obstetrician and gynaecologist in north Gaza who carried out 37 deliveries in one shelter in just three weeks when access to the local hospital was blocked. Image: Aya Matrabie/DEC/Fairpicture
"Pregnant women did not have access to any services up until December 2023, when Juzoor was able to establish a new medical point.
Now, they have a team of 15 midwives that are distributed across more than 19 displacement camps in northern Gaza. Midwives are able to provide essential care to pregnant women, offering follow-up appointments and critical services like checking blood pressure, weight and height."
Juzoor staff help women and children register for medical assistance at one of ten centres setup to support displaced people returning to north Gaza during the ceasefire. Image: Aya Matrabie/DEC/Fairpicture
We try to do something to accommodate the lack of materials, the lack of equipment and the lack of everything during this war,"
Dr Salwa, north Gaza
Local aid workers form the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and in the face of relentless uncertainty, it is their commitment that is making a difference to people’s lives every day. Please continue to support their incredible work.
