Gaza COVID-19
response
The Gaza Strip has been suffering for years on end. In just the past year, nearly 70,000 people in the West Bank and Gaza have contracted COVID-19, and of those, 600 have been reported dead.
Residents have been devastated by years of war and isolation which has further caused high levels of poverty and unemployment.
Approximately 62% of Gaza’s population is food insecure, and the current lockdown is pushing even more into a hole of poverty. In addition, studies conducted by the Premiere Urgence Internationale (PUI) found that 97% of farmers reported a decrease in their agricultural income by 50% during the pandemic.
These farmers face numerous challenges,which are political and environmental things like, high price for fertilizers, limited access to market and low purchase power, import and export restrictions, and the lack of market regulations to control the prices.
For the next several months, Muslim Aid USA in partnership with Care International is distributing food packages to 500 families (3,000 individuals) in Gaza who are quarantined due to COVID-19.
MAUSA’s goal is to enhance the prevention, protection, and response to COVID-19 for the most vulnerable in Gaza.
The food packages include several fresh fruits and vegetables which will help improve the income of 30 local farmers (20 male and 10 female).
Our collective efforts will also enhance the prevention of 300 female cancer patients, 100 children with Cerebral Palsy, 1,000 vulnerable children between the age of 6 months and 12 years), and 150 health workers (50% male, 50% female). They will have their needs provided through the provision and distribution of vitamins, food supplements, and water.