The following was written by Elder and Chair of The Mission and Local Outreach Committee, Philip Davies, who has a unique perspective on the current conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza from his many years of work in the Middle East.
Prayers for Gaza, December 20, 2023
The majority of my 40-year non-profit career in humanitarian relief and development work has been in the Middle East, including Gaza.
For this reason, what is happening in Gaza today is deeply personal.
Gaza is not a big place – 25 miles long and 3.7 to 7.5 miles wide. With a population of 2.3 million, its population density is often compared to Hong Kong.
I have known Gaza for fifty years. When I first went there, it had less than a million residents and few paved roads. You could drive from Jerusalem to Gaza in an hour and a half without being stopped at the border.
I have known Gaza when it was occupied by Israel and had Israeli settlements, when it was under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and when it was run by Hamas.
The places you hear in the news – Rafah, Khan Younis, Shejaia, Jabaliya, Beit Lahia, Mawasi, etc. – all bring back memories of work in these places.
Over time, the crossing between Israel and Gaza, known as Eretz, became a formidable high security border with massive concrete walls, watch towers, and cameras everywhere. Expatriates like me could not enter Gaza without permission from Israel and only did so after a thorough checking of all person possessions and a body scan.
Over the years, the international organizations I worked for including Save the Children, American Near East Refugee Aid, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and Islamic Relief USA implemented hundreds of development projects in water, health, sanitation, agriculture, education, and income generation to improve the quality of life in Gaza. I visited these projects with Gaza staff during my various trips. Many of these projects were funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The beneficiaries of these projects included municipalities, village councils, charitable organizations, agricultural cooperatives, farmers, preschools, hospitals and clinics, and women and youth organizations all
The amount of death and destruction in Gaza today is unprecedented. However, there are few firsthand reports because the international press has not been able to access Gaza. What images do come out a very disturbing and unsettling
The leaders of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations (Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Oxfam) recently called the situation in Gaza incomparable to any other conflict or natural disaster they have experienced.
Nearly 20,00 persons have been killed (half women and children), 50,000 have been injured. 70% of the schools have sustained damage. 1.9 million persons (85%) of the population are displaced. Only 8 of 36 hospitals are functioning. There are severe shortages of medicine, food, water, and fuel. Very severe hunger has been reported in 44% of households surveyed. Communicable diseases are spreading, as winter sets in. Living conditions are appalling.
No place in Gaza is safe. The BBC reports that the “safe zone” in South Gaza for tens of thousands of displaced persons is smaller than Heathrow Airport and has no basic services. Everyone is Gaza knows someone who has been killed or injured in the fighting and everyone fears for their life.
The families of three former employees of SCF and ANERA that I know of have been killed in the bombing. Families are dividing up children to be sure some members will survive, if they come under attack. Gazans abroad are calling their loved ones daily for updates, but many days cannot get through.
Nor has the tiny Christian community been spared the ravages of the war. Al-Ahli Hospital (also known as the Baptist Hospital), the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the Catholic Holy Family Parish, and the YMCA-Gaza have all come under attack and sustained damage during the fighting.
The 1967 War lasted six days. The October War in 1973 lasted two and a half weeks. The Second Lebanon War lasted 34 days. The Israel-Hamas War has lasted 75 days with no end in sight.
I ask for prayers for peace and the safety of all victims of this conflict and a ceasefire to end this horrible war.
Philip Davies