Sister Nabila from Gaza: "We risk our lives every minute".Anton Asfar is the Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem and has been promoting aid in the Holy Land since the beginning of the war. On the morning of March 11, he gave a press conference together with Pablo Reyero, coordinator for Europe, the Middle East and Asia for Caritas Spain.
Caritas has been one of the few organizations that has been providing assistance in Gaza from the beginning, although the difficulties they have encountered have forced them to adapt continuously. In the conflict, a young Caritas worker who was very dear to the organization and a pharmacist with whom they collaborated were killed. Other workers and volunteers were injured.
Asfar describes the international aid that enters the area as a drop in the ocean. If we also take into account that it is often withheld in the strip, the catastrophic consequences are understandable. According to Asfar, famine in the area may soon arrive, as many people have been malnourished for months. In addition to this problem, there are no sanitation systems or drinking water, so disease in the area is growing rapidly.
According to Asfar, most Gazans wish to continue living in their land, despite the destruction it is undergoing. Without wishing to generate political controversy, Asfar commented that he believes that "Trump's proposal to create a large tourist resort is unfeasible."
What does Caritas do in the Holy Land?
For 15 months they have been calling for a cease-fire. It is a fragile truce that continues to cost lives. Caritas staffing in the Gaza area, especially in the southern settlements, is 100 workers and 80 volunteers.
Caritas has a medical center in Gaza, which had to be moved to Catholic and Orthodox parishes in order to continue operating. They have also had mobile medical units in the strip, except at times when it became untenable.
Conflict data
Since October 7, 2023, Gaza has experienced one of the largest escalations of violence in its recent history with more than 47,000 deaths. Nearly 75% of the population, -1.9 million, have fled their homes while massive shelling of homes (72%) has left thousands of families with no home to return to. In addition, the destruction of public infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and water and sanitation systems has led to a collapse of basic services.
Caritas Española has been collaborating with Caritas Jerusalem for more than 25 years. Its work focuses on providing humanitarian aid, promoting social development and fostering peace in a region marked by conflict and inequality. Since the beginning of the war, Caritas Spain has allocated 300,000 euros to support various humanitarian assistance projects in Gaza, in addition to having recently approved aid for Caritas Jerusalem amounting to 1.5 million euros.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate has directly assisted more than 8,000 families, while Caritas Jerusalem has directly assisted more than 100,000 people since the war began.
