Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem won this year’s prestigious 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award, taken at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. Salem, who is Palestinian, described this photo as a “powerful and sad moment that sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip.”
This year continues to be devastating for people affected by war and conflict. Our hearts are heavy as we witness a genocide happening in Gaza with visible pain like that of our sister Inas Abu Maamar cradling her 5 year old nieces body above. It must be unimaginable horror for the people who are living through this day in and day out.
We, at Refugee Biriyani & Bananas are grateful for your contributions that helped make life a little more comfortable for those we are supporting in Gaza.
It was thanks to you we were able to buy aid for and send our second truck of aid to Gaza. This aid truck has now been received by our field teams in the South of Gaza Strip and 1080 families were supported with food parcels.
After more than 6 months of constant bombardment and restrictions in aid access, including medical aid, the death toll in Gaza has risen to more than 33,899+ people killed since October, including an estimated 13,000 children (OCHA 29 March 2024).
The UN have now confirmed that North Gaza is at imminent risk of a man-made famine between now and May 2024. FAO data indicates that the entire population, some 2.3 million people, are enduring “acute” food insecurity, while 1.11 million are facing “catastrophic” food insecurity. Gaza is on the brink of starvation; if people do not die from the constant bombings, they are at risk of dying from hunger and disease instead.
Since October last year, we have been operating our EMERGENCY GAZA APPEAL to support the people of Gaza with food and hygiene items. In February and March this year, Ruhi and Aliya, accompanied by other volunteers and partners travelled two trips to Cairo, Egypt to assess the logistical operations of aid trucks to Gaza and to organise the sending of trucks of our own. Thanks to the massive efforts of our partners and supporters, we have so far filled and sent two 40ft trucks of food aid and hygiene items – SUPPORTING 20,000 PEOPLE.
We call on you to help us send our third & fourth truck of aid to Gaza!