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January 6, 2009
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Vol 2, Issue 1
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Gaza
A humanitarian Crisis
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Dear AFEDJ
Friend,
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So
much is happening in Palestine that cries out for prayer and
humanitarian aid. There are ways you can help. Share this
with a friend, see the article about a wonderful idea for a fundraiser,
ask your Outreach Committee for help. Send us your ideas and we'll
share them. Help us help them by contributing today.
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January 6 update from Gaza
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Constant explosions have blown the windows out of
the hospital, and without glass, plastic bags now replace
them. The ventilation system is destroyed and doctors work day
after day without supplies or medications. But the staff is
committed to providing the best care possible with compassion and hope.
Food, blankets and sleep are in short supply, and electricity is a sometime
thing. Yet the patients keep coming.
Many are transferred from the government hospital which
is also operating at overflow capacity.
Suhaila Tarazi, Director of Al Ahli
Hospital, uses the word "catastrophe" to describe
the situation. It has been rainy and
cold. The day and night wail of ambulance sirens and
the constant bombardment make sleep impossible. Staff leave to
bury their dead and will have to mourn another day.
The UN has noted that drinkable water is now in short
supply, and as the city is completely encircled, people wanting to flee
the fighting have nowhere to go. They have declared Gaza "a
full-blown humanitarian crisis."
Bishop Suheil Dawani, Diocese of Jerusalem, stated that,
"as a Diocese with well over a century of unbroken commitment to
the well being and peace of the community in Gaza City, through our Al
Ahli Arab Hospital, we are both stunned and saddened."
The Rev. Canon Samir Habiby, Special Assistant to Bp.
Suheil added, "we are a non-partisan hospital in the midst of
increasingly more militant partisanship. We are seen as a neutral
major healthcare facility providing a medical 'safe haven' for many who
would otherwise have lost their lives."
This makes the good work at Ahli all the more
critical. We're grateful for our tireless workers in this
island of love and hope. Support them and their work through your
prayer and your contributions.
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Aid is getting through
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 Medical supplies, some food, fuel and other
humanitarian aid is getting through with the help of USAID and
WHO. This shipment arrived on Dec. 31.
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Good fundraising idea
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The Rev. Patricia Cunningham, at Christ Church in
Roxbury CT, shared this fundraising idea. Her congregation held
an Armchair Pilgrimage -- a dinner where everyone contributed Middle
Eastern dishes and they saw a PowerPoint presentation developed from a
recent trip to the Holy Land.
Many AFEDJ Friends have traveled to Israel and
Palestine. Share your experience and raise resources for our
Gaza brothers and sisters at the same time. AFEDJ can supply
a CD of a Power Point presentation which highlights the work
of the Diocese of Jerusalem. Contact Anne Lynn at aklynn@americanfriends-jerusalem.org for a copy.
Please
share your ideas for making the situation known to others. We rely
on you to spread the word and
increase support. You can make a difference
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 The AFEDJ is a
nonprofit, non-political 501c3 which helps sustain the institutions of
the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. These includes 13 schools, 3
hospitals, 5 institutes for the disabled and 4 affiliates spread
over Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. All provide
for those in need regardless of religious background. All foster
mutual respect and tolerance in a land torn by turmoil and poverty.
Learn more about the work of the AFEDJ or the Diocese of
Jerusalem. Visit www.americanfriends-jerusalem.org
to contribute to any of the important work done in the region. Or
visit www.j-diocese.org for
a direct link to the Diocese of Jerusalem.
While Gaza
is in crisis, all the work of the Diocese continues to need your help and
support.
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