Ch. 3 - The People Without a Nation: The Palestinian Crisis

Chapter Three: Human Actors

In May 2021, rising tensions in East Jerusalem, stemming from restrictions on Palestinian access to holy sites during Ramadan and the looming eviction of families in Sheikh Jarrah, ignited hostilities in Gaza. This conflict had devastating humanitarian consequences. It further aggravated the hardships of the ongoing Israeli blockade and internal Palestinian political divides. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported one hundred thirty civilian Palestinian casualties, including sixty-seven children and forty-one women. Injuries afflicted over two thousand two hundred Palestinians, many facing long-term disabilities. At the height of the conflict, about one hundred thirteen thousand internally displaced persons sought shelter in UNRWA schools or with host families, with around eight thousand remaining permanently displaced because of the destruction of their homes.[1]

Aid Agencies in Gaza

The Gaza Strip has been home to numerous aid agencies, and following the 2021 crisis, these sprang into action. This myriad of international and local organizations has been actively involved in providing aid to the Gaza Strip, addressing the dire humanitarian needs that have escalated due to ongoing conflicts and blockades. These nongovernment organizations (NGOs) have worked in tandem with one another as well as the local militant leaders: Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.[2]

Secular International Agencies.

Secular international agencies have been pivotal in providing emergency relief and developmental aid in Gaza. Organizations like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the World Food Program, and the World Health Organization are crucial in supporting Palestinian refugees with necessities like food, education, and healthcare.[3] Moreover, agencies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Rescue Committee,[4] and the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), and Doctors Without Borders[5] provide medical assistance and support to the Gazan population amid the continuous turmoil. Numerous other smaller NGOs have been on the ground in Gaza for decades, providing essential disaster response and development assistance to the Palestinian people.

Faith-Based Agencies Christian and Muslim.

Faith is an integral part of Palestinian heritage. However, over the last seventy-five years, the faith distribution has become more and more predominantly Muslim. Where ten percent of the population used to be Christian[6], only one percent remain.[7] This tremendous decrease is primarily due to emigration, as Christian communities more often have the financial and social means of leaving the country. As a result of this, most faith-based organizations in the area of Islam, including notably Islamic Relief Worldwide and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, support infrastructure development and food security within the Gazan community. Despite the decrease in the Christian population of the country, both Muslim and Christian faith-based organizations have been active in Gaza, often working under challenging conditions. Christian Aid,[8] Caritas,[9] and Catholic Relief Services are the only visible internationally affiliated Christian organizations on the ground in Gaza, partnering with local communities, churches, and NGO partners to help. These faith-based agencies often coordinate with secular organizations, emphasizing the humanitarian aspect of their mission beyond religious affiliations.

History of Aid in Gaza (250-300)

The history of aid in Gaza reflects the complexity of the region's political and social landscape. In most crises, there would be a linear transition from disaster response to rehabilitation and community development. However, the continued cycles of violence and oppression have made this virtually impossible in the Gazan territory.

Emergency assistance

In 2021, after the unrest following the events in Sheikh Jarrah, Humanitarian organizations began renewed disaster response efforts. This response involved international calls for aid to fund food, medical supplies, and shelter. The World Food Program and UNRWA secured millions of dollars in aid to rapidly provide food and shelter to the thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs). Following the event, organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Christian Aid, the PCRF, and Caritas deployed medical staff and supplies on the ground to deal with the critically wounded and others in need of medical attention.

Long Term Development

Long-term development efforts in Gaza are rare and challenging for several reasons. The constant waves of violence, the turmoil that comes with occupation, and the economic and social implications of racial apartheid are challenging to work around. Sara Roy analyses the case of the Gazan economy. She claims that the occupational relationship between Palestine and Israel necessitates a "dependent development," which is predicated by two criteria. One is that the weaker economy can industrialize and acquire capital, and two is the formation of political and economic alliances between the elites of both economies. According to Sarah, “Both preconditions of dependent development exist to such a low degree in the relationship between Israel and the Gaza Strip that not only is basic economic development suppressed inside Gaza, but so is dependent development itself.”[10] She further hypothesizes that the Gazan economy will continue to " de-develop " because of this.

Since the crisis in 2021, barely two years on from a significant conflict, the violence continues, and the current war going on in Gaza will likely result in the highest number of casualties, deaths, and displacement that the area has ever seen—despite all this, some long-term development practices and persevering through. Christian Aid promotes resilience in the areas through community-led approaches to securing water access and preparation for emergencies. Their solution "allows communities to take ownership of their own needs and seek solutions that work for them, leading to more sustainable impact.”[11]

These small steps aim to build resilience and strength in the communities, enabling the Palestinian people to rebuild and restore their communities after disasters. Christian Aid and other organizations also engage in educational programs, infrastructure development, job creation, and health services, essential in fostering a sense of normalcy and hope for a better future among the Gazan population.[12]

[1] El-Mougher, Mohammed M, "Level of coordination between the humanitarian and governmental organizations in Gaza Strip and its impact on the humanitarian interventions to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) following May escalation 2021." International Journal of Disaster Risk Management 4, no. 2 (2022): 21. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1089887

[2] Ibid, 22.

[3] John Zarocostas, "Aid agencies escalate Gaza relief effort." The Lancet 397, no. 10290 (2021): 2136. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01283-6

[4] "Gaza Crisis," International Rescue Committee, Last Updated November 11th, 2023. https://www.rescue.org/topic/gaza-crisis

[5] “Gaza: MSF provides medical care and donates supplies amid intense conflict,” Medecin Sans Frontieres, Doctors without Borders, Last Updated October 8th, 2023. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gaza-msf-provides-medical-care-and-donates-supplies-amid-intense-conflict

[6] “DEMOGRAPHICS OF HISTORIC PALESTINE PRIOR TO 1948,” Factsheet Series No. 7, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Last Updated June 2022. https://www.cjpme.org/fs_007

[7] “The West Bank and Gaza: A Population Profile," Population Refugee Bureau, Last updated April 20th, 2020. https://www.prb.org/resources/the-west-bank-and-gaza-a-population-profile/

[8] “Charity’s humanitarian partners in Gaza caught up in the violence," Relief Web, Christian Aid, Last Updated November 1st, 2023. https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/charitys-humanitarian-partners-gaza-caught-violence

[9] “CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS LAUNCHES AN APPEAL TO ENSURE HEALTHCARE IN GAZA," Caritas International, Gaza, Last updated May 17th, 2021. https://www.caritas.org/2021/05/appeal-for-healthcare-in-gaza/

[10] Sara Roy, “The Gaza Strip: A Case of Economic De-Development,” Journal of Palestine Studies 17, no. 1, (1987): 57-58, DOI: 10.2307/2536651

[11] “Christian Aid in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (IoPt),” Christian Aid, Where We Work. Accessed November 11th, 2023. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/our-work/where-we-work/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territory-iopt

[12] Sarah Raby, “The humanitarian crisis of the Israeli occupation and settler colonialism in the West Bank and Gaza,” Senior Honors Theses and Projects, (2023): 769. https://commons.emich.edu/honors/769.