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GAZA, PALESTINE November 15, 2023 – Baitulmaal, a Dallas-based international humanitarian nonprofit, is currently providing psychosocial support to hundreds of displaced Palestinian children seeking refuge in shelter centers across the Gaza Strip.
Displaced children are receiving psychosocial support through toys, activities, and friendly faces in shelter centers and schools located in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah. According to Ahmed Sheriff, international offices manager at Baitulmaal, the mental health of children is an unseen crisis that is unfolding in Gaza.
“These children are living through the horrors of war,” Sheriff said. “Our compassionate donors have been able to put a smile on their faces during these dark days and helped ease some of their suffering.”
In less than six weeks, Israel has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians. According to the UN, of those killed, about 41 percent are children and 25 percent are women. On average, one child is killed and two are injured every 10 minutes. For many children, this is not the first experience of violence in their short lives. A 16 year old child in Gaza today would have been born under an occupation and lived through violence in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the current crisis in 2023.
In addition to psychosocial support for displaced Palestinian children, Baitulmaal has been on the ground in Gaza distributing shelter kits, food, hygiene supplies, clean water and other emergency aid since October 7.
Prior to October 7, Baitulmaal had been working in Palestine for more than a decade, providing food, clothing, education support, seasonal giving, emergency aid and healthcare in Palestine, in addition to operating 400 water tanks in Gaza . Having staff and resources on the ground enables Baitulmaal to quickly mobilize emergency aid from existing stock within Gaza to families in need.
Baitulmaal continues to provide aid during the current crisis and will deliver more aid into Gaza as the situation allows. If you would like to learn more about or contribute to Baitulmaal’s efforts in Palestine, please visit their website at Baitulmaal.org.
Baitulmaal is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides life-saving, life-sustaining and life-enriching aid to people in need around the world. With headquarters in Texas, the charity has domestic offices in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey as well as international offices in Europe, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.
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