As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, Caritas Jerusalem staff are providing critical healthcare, mental health support and humanitarian assistance to people facing displacement, disease, injury and severe shortages of basic services. Source: Caritas Australia.
Displacement sites continue to report severe infestations of rodents and pests, while the breakdown of most sewage pumping stations means about 40,000 cubic meters of sewage is entering residential areas, the sea and groundwater sources each day.
As a result, the spread of infectious diseases such as acute diarrhoea and hepatitis A has increased.
Almost three years of war in Gaza has caused catastrophic humanitarian, health, environmental, and social consequences, disproportionately affecting people with disabilities, women, and children.
Pregnant women in particular face dangerous conditions, including malnutrition, overcrowding, infection risks, and limited access to safe childbirth and postnatal care.
Caritas Jerusalem has been responding to these needs since October 2023, and since January, has delivered 78,711 medical consultations in Gaza.
Caritas Jerusalem has described its healthcare response as healing the wounds of Gaza, both visible and invisible, noting that “not every wound can be treated with medicine”.
“Children who have witnessed violence, mothers carrying the weight of their families, and people living with constant uncertainty also need someone to listen and help them cope,” the charity said.
For Caritas Jerusalem staff, “healthcare is therefore about more than treating an illness. It is about restoring dignity, reassurance and a sense of normality to people whose lives have been profoundly disrupted.”
Caritas Jerusalem’s 120 local staff continue serving their communities while facing many of the same challenges as those they support, including displacement, damaged homes, limited access to clean water and unreliable electricity.
Sally Thomas, Caritas Australia’s humanitarian manager, said: “The staff providing these services are living through this crisis themselves, yet they continue to show up every day to care for their communities.
“Many have lost homes, are living in overcrowded conditions with little privacy, and are working in a high-stress and under-resourced healthcare environment. Caritas is doing everything it can to support them, including regular check-ins and sourcing hygiene supplies where possible, but the pressure on local staff remains immense.”
To support Caritas Australia’s Gaza Crisis Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/gaza.
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Local Caritas health workers reach more than 78,000 people as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens (Caritas Australia)
