Update: Emergency response in Gaza
Dear Friend,
The genocide in Gaza continues to escalate with devastating consequences. Every day, more Palestinians are killed by bombings, starvation, and disease. Families are repeatedly displaced, crowded into makeshift camps with inadequate access to food, medicine, or water.
Serena Awad, a member of our team in Gaza, recently shared an update. You can read her full report [link removed] on our website, but here is part of what she had to say:
"Everywhere I look, there’s a body giving out. A woman falls to her knees in the street. A child can no longer walk. A man sways, barely able to stand. The images aren’t isolated. They are daily. They are everywhere. They are us....
"I used to say, 'It’s never too late to act.' But now, it is. For many, it already was. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projects that from April to September 2025, 244,000 people in Gaza, about 12% of the population, will face catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5). That means death by starvation is no longer a risk. It is a reality.
"Three months ago, I wrote that I was surviving on one meal a day. Now, even that one meal is no longer guaranteed. From the heart of Gaza—from the very core of starvation—I am telling you, the world that weaponizes aid, politicizes food, and watches our children get shot for holding a bag of flour—Since when has weaponizing food become the norm? When did a bag of flour become a death sentence?"
No one should ever have to endure what Palestinians face today. As a Quaker organization, AFSC opposes all forms of violence. We believe everyone deserves safety, peace, and all that they need to thrive.
Despite the overwhelming suffering, our team continues to provide whatever support we can. We have delivered food, water, and other lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, though this represents only a fraction of what’s needed. In recent weeks, we have conducted psychosocial support workshops, distributed hygiene kits, and launched an educational initiative for children ages 6-12. We remain grateful for all who have contributed to our efforts, making this crucial work possible.
Political action is urgently needed to stop the violence in Gaza and ensure full humanitarian access for its people. Please keep up your calls and emails to Congress. [link removed] Your advocacy is essential to saving lives and ending this crisis.
In peace,
Kerri Kennedy
Associate General Secretary for International Programs
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American Friends Service Committee
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United States
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