Patriarchate of Jerusalem supporting Christians affected by war

By Lisa Zengarini

As the war between Israel and Hamas continues after nearly 11 months, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem is calling on donors to continue funding its efforts to support the local Christian community affected by the conflict.

After the Covid crisis, Christian families face new difficulties

Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, many Palestinian Christian families have been facing new financial difficulties as they have lost all their sources of income. With the support of the Universal Church, the Patriarchate has been able to provide these families with the assistance they urgently need.

In a video clip Published on the Patriarchate’s website, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa recalls that the conflict has an unprecedented cost for the population, particularly in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem: “Although conflicts are not new to us,” he says, “we have never known one that is so long and with such a serious impact on the lives of the population.”

International Donations to the Patriarchate

In the video clip, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem warmly thanks individual and institutional benefactors around the world who generously responded to his appeal for support on November 2, 2023, making possible the Patriarchate’s relief efforts, including the distribution of food vouchers and the creation of employment opportunities for those who lost their jobs due to the war.

Food voucher distribution and job creation

The video reports that “279 people, men and women, have obtained stable and sustainable employment in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, 12,000 families have received food vouchers, assistance with rent, medical care and children’s schooling. In Gaza, the Latin Patriarchate has supported more than 1,000 Christian faithful who have found refuge in the Latin parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, providing them with financial assistance, food and fuel. In addition, 123 migrants and asylum seekers displaced by the war have received safe housing and regular food.

The video also features testimonies from three direct beneficiaries of the aid, including a student who is able to continue his university studies, a woman who receives food and medicine for her sick husband, and a young father who receives financial support to pay his rent.

Helping Christians Stay in the Holy Land

The video ends with an appeal for continued support for suffering Christians in the Holy Land: “Your closeness helps our efforts for peace and justice in our land, which are not mere slogans but daily actions,” Cardinal Pizzaballa says. “Your support also helps Christian families to stay here and not emigrate, given the great needs and the continuing war in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Caritas Jerusalem prepares to administer polio vaccines in Gaza

In the meantime, despite the risks and the many obstacles that hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Caritas Jerusalem continues to do what it can to ensure access to health care for the population of the Palestinian enclave. The Catholic association, which tragically lost two national aid workers in the Gaza Strip, has never left the territory and is preparing its medical staff to administer the polio vaccines that are urgently needed by the children of Gaza.

According to a press release, seven of the nine health facilities are operational (two cannot operate for security reasons) and coordinate a total of 14 medical teams. One of them is in Gaza City (in the parish of the Holy Family) the others south of the river (Wadi Gaza), in Nuseirat, Khanyounis, Deir al Balah. The organization says the situation remains “dire” and extremely dangerous for its staff. To date Caritas has helped more than 28 thousand people in Gaza.