Co. Longford donations are saving many lives in Gaza says Trócaire

Irish NGO Trócaire has said that donations made by communities in Co.Longford and around the country are saving many lives in Gaza. 

 The organisation made the announcement as it launched its Christmas Appeal this morning (1st Dec) which is focusing on ‘Children in Conflict’ and highlighting the fact that one in six young people in the world live in conflict zones. Speaking at the launch, Trócaire CEO Caoimhe de Barra said that the horrendous situation in Gaza has already resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent women, men and children and the unacceptable death toll continues to rise. “As well as those who have tragically lost their lives, many more people have been seriously injured. The situation is posing huge challenges for Trócaire’s partners but they are making a difference thanks to the support of the public in Co. Longford. Trócaire’s partner organisation, Medical Aid for Palestinians, is working against the odds in Gaza to ensure that those injured, many of them children, receive urgent medical care to give them the best chance of survival. 

“The recent temporary truce allowed for limited humanitarian aid to reach those desperately in need of food, water, and medical assistance, and the release of hostages and those arbitrarily detained allowed them to be reunited with their families. However, a pause is not enough. A permanent ceasefire needs to be brokered to bring an end to the hostilities that have seen thousands of Palestinian and Israeli civilian lives lost, the majority of them women and children.” “Many of Trócaire’s local partner organisations in the Gaza Strip have been unable to operate in recent weeks, and they have suffered their own horrendous ordeals through displacement and loss of friends and families. When they are able to do so, they must be allowed to return to delivering lifesaving medical care, psychosocial support and legal assistance to the people of Gaza,” Caoimhe de Barra said.

 Before the escalation of violence last month, the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip faced acute humanitarian needs, with more than 80% of the population dependent on some form of humanitarian assistance. Today, 1.7 million of the 2.2 million residents of the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, in an area that is only around one third the size of County Longford.

 Trócaire are urging people to donate to the cause if they are in a position to do so. Donations can be made on their website https://www.trocaire.org/