(ZENIT News – Holy Land Foundation / Jerusalem, 06.11.2024).- “Despite the destruction of several health installations and restricted access due to the ongoing hostilities, Caritas-Jerusalem has continued to operate in the most affected areas of Gaza, through 17 medical teams,” explained Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s Middle East spokeswoman.
CAFOD is the English Catholic Church’s agency for international aid, equivalent to the Spanish Manos Abiertas [Open Hands]. It is working in the Holy Land jointly with Caritas-Jerusalem to finish vaccinating half a million children against polio.
During an August truce, it was able to vaccinate the children of the Gaza Strip, but a second dose is necessary now, some weeks later, for it to have maximum effectiveness, and Israel is not waging for any truce, but for a hardening of blockades and combats.
Nevertheless, in a press release on day 27, CAFOD explained that “contrary to what the media says, some aid is able to arrive,” but there is evidence that the war makes humanitarian and health aid terribly difficult, including for children.
“After surviving more than a year of conflict, the children trapped in Gaza need urgent medical intervention, to reduce the spread of potentially mortal diseases such as polio,” said CAFOD. “The first round of the UN’s vaccination program against polio was successfully completed in August, after Israel agreed to a brief temporary ceasefire to enable the program to continue. However, tragically, the program’s last round had to be postponed, by the World Health Organization, due to the lack of security for the participating children and their families, as well as for health workers,” given that Israel doesn’t cease the attacks and bombardments.
The Second Dose Must Be Applied Now
The vaccination against polio is more effective when a second dose is administered, approximately between 4 and 6 weeks after the first. The critical moment for that second vital dose is now, at the end of October and the beginning of November.
“If a significant number of children do not receive the second dose of the vaccine, the efforts to stop the transmission of the polio virus in Gaza will be in grave danger. This could also cause a wider spread of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip and neighbouring counties, with the risk of more children being paralyzed,” warned spokesmen of the World Health Organization.
In fact, observed on October 24 was the World Day Against Polio, but the wars between men are unable to make a truce to save the children of the wars against the virus.
The Work of the Doctors of Caritas-Jerusalem
Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s spokeswoman in the Middle East, explained that “the emergency medical teams of Caritas-Jerusalem did incredible work to help vaccinate the childen with the first dose and have been fundamental when it came to offering essential health care in the midst of the conflict.”
“During the first phase, over 500,000 children were vaccinated against polio and our religious associates were working to administer the second round, primarily in the Deir al Balah area. The majority of the team were displaced and had to leave everything behind, but their dedication to the work was unbreakable,” she specified.
Ahmad Daya, of Gaza’s Caritas-Jerusalem team, said through CAFOD: “Thank God we work in Caritas, which enables us to help people in the most difficult conditions. This organization helps us to make our voice heard, which brightens the days. We hope the war, the suffering and the displacement will end, to be able to return to our homes, neighbourhoods, streets and everything we knew.”
Joint Request From British NGOs
In October CAFOD joined 14 other British charitable organizations in a Humanitarian Appeal for the Middle East, for the purpose of raising vital funds for those suffering in the whole region. From Gaza, its interlocutors explained: “Every day there are people murdered, burnt or die of hunger. We want to see a small light of hope but there isn’t any. More than a year has passed and [the situation] is worsening. We continue to experience the same trauma day after day. Last year we lived of canned food for a time. Today we live of canned food permanently. We are all sick, but we must keep going.”
CAFOD, with data of the United Nations, calculates that Gaza is on the edge of famine. 86% of the population (1.84 million people) suffer grave food insecurity.
A good way to help is through Caritas with the Holy Land or donations to the Latin Patriarchate.
