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Pdf | 322.63 Kb Staying in Touch JULY/AUGUST 2006 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 4 Caritas Jerusalem responds to the urgent A REMINDER OF WHAT LOVE IS humanitarian crisis and the war in the Holy Land "Love is not the starving of whole Based upon the urgent humanitarian crisis that developed in populations. Love is not the bombardment the Holy Land since 01/2006, Caritas Jerusalem issued a of open cities. Love is not killing, it is the laying down of one's life for one's friends. Special Operations Appeal (SOA) to the Caritas Confederation in Our manifesto is the Sermon on the Mount, mid-May. This call was answered with expressions of support which means that we will try to be from many partners all over the world. This SOA focused on peacemakers." Dorothy Day giving assistance for family relief, academic assistance, urgent medical support and help to provide work for the jobless. A VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS If you wish to really understand what is This project began focusing on its targeted areas for assistance, taking place in the Gaza Strip, please but some six weeks after the project began, a whole new reality open your Bible and read the on the ground developed. These developments involved the war Lamentations of Jeremiah. This is what that erupted between Israel and Hizbullah in Lebanon. we are all living. People are CRYING, HUNGRY, THIRSTY and DESPERATE. We witnessed the destruction of Lebanon with heavy hearts. We prayed for peace and joined the 1000's of calls to end the Fr. Manuel Musallam – Parish Priest- violence and seek peace. Our calls fell on deaf ears for over a Latin Convent, Gaza month. During that war, we saw many lives lost and unimaginable suffering for people in Lebanon and in N. Israel. While all of these events were taking place, Caritas Jerusalem In this issue: witnessed a massive deterioration in the situation in Palestine. Caritas Jerusalem responds to the urgent In Gaza, the month of July was described as one of the most crisis and the war in the Holy Land destructive months and sadly the one in which the greatest loss of life took place since the year 2000. Due to the recent Caritas Jerusalem completes targeted humanitarian aid project in partnership with deterioration in Palestine, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Murex Corporation Vanhanen, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, Caritas Jerusalem's President HB Msgr. said on 8/7/06 that "The EU condemns the loss of lives caused Michel Sabbah leads a solidarity visit to by disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces Gaza and the humanitarian crisis it has aggravated." In response to Caritas Jerusalem's work featured in "The the situation, our actions have been emergency focused. We Tablet," a UK religious journal have given food aid, family support, medicine/fuel for hospitals, direct help to sick patients and those injured and education Caritas Jerusalem's Gaza Mobile Medical Clinic responds to the needs in Al Maghazi assistance. We have also participated in meetings with UN Refugee Camp in August OCHA and many other NGOs in Gaza and the West Bank. Caritas Jerusalem's President HB Msgr. It is clear that the international community must step up their Michel Sabbah leads a delegation of efforts to end the fighting and to work for a comprehensive religious leaders on a humanitarian mission to the ancient city of Nablus solution to all the problems here in the Mid East before they get worse. Commenting on the situation here in the Middle East to Summary of actions undertaken through the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, King Abdullah II of the program "Emergency Support for Palestine" Jordan said that to have peace and security in the region, a solution to the problem of the Palestinians is urgently needed. Children – The Forgotten Victims Caritas Jerusalem's work featured in Caritas Jerusalem completes targeted humanitarian "The Tablet," a UK religious journal aid project in partnership with Murex Corporation Caritas Jerusalem's work in the Gaza Strip Caritas Jerusalem and Murex Corp. (France) have been working was featured in the UK-based magazine, collaboratively to better the lives of the Palestinian people for the Tablet on 15/7/2006. The article titled: several years. We have just completed a new project in which "Where death stalks the starving" we undertook targeted humanitarian assistance giving family documented two first accounts of the support, education grants and grants for medical assistance. situation in Gaza in mid July. This account showed just how bad life had become two We wish to thank Murex Corp. for their support to help us weeks after the events of 28/6/2006 when provide these programs for the poor and vulnerable here in Palestinians captured an Israeli soldier. Palestine. Following this event, the situation spiraled down and due to the first hand accounts Caritas Jerusalem's President HB Msgr. Michel given by the director of our medical center, Sabbah leads a solidarity visit to Gaza Dr. Bandaly Sayegh and those of Fr. Manual Musallam, Parish Priest of the Latin On Saturday, July 29 2006, the President of Caritas Jerusalem, Patriarchate in Gaza, Caritas Jerusalem was HB Msgr. Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, moved by the several dozen letters we participated in a delegation who visited Gaza to show their received from the UK, Switzerland and even as far away as Malaysia to this article. The support for the people of Gaza who are suffering under a very response was very touching with over difficult humanitarian crisis. ?4,000 being donated for our work in Gaza. Even though all of the delegation had secured previous Thank you to The Tablet and to all who permission to enter Gaza, the visit began with a two and one responded and sent help to the vulnerable half hour delay at the Erez checkpoint. Upon entry, the people in Gaza. delegation attended a press conference at the Holy Family School in Northern Gaza and pointed to the dramatic escalation Caritas Jerusalem's Gaza Mobile Medical Clinic responds to the needs in in the suffering of the people. Then the delegation moved to the Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in August Al Ahli hospital to visit the injured people from the recent violence after which HB Msgr. Sabbah presented the hospital The Al Maghazi Refugee Camp was the administration with a donation to help them purchase medicine scene of a serious military incursion by the and fuel, both of which were in short supply at that time. The Israeli army on July 19-20. UN OCHA reports that "16 Palestinians were killed and visit concluded with a visit to Palestinians from Al Shouka who 107 [were] injured by the IDF during a two- had been forced from their homes due to the ongoing military day incursion into Al Maghazi refugee camp. actions in their area. HB Msgr. Sabbah presented these people, Extensive damage to Palestinians homes who were temporarily housed in an UNRWA school, with some (seven demolished and 76 damaged) was much needed direct social assistance. reported." (www.reliefweb.int) On August 2, Caritas Jerusalem's medical team headed by Dr. B. Sayegh (pictured HB Msgr. Michel Sabbah, President of Caritas Jerusalem and the Latin above with a recovering patient – Photo: Patriarch of Jerusalem (center) accompanied by Bishop Riah Abu El Caritas) reached out to 22 injured people. Assal (right) of the Anglican Church and the Rt. Rev. Bishop Munib The intervention focused on dressing Younan (left) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church visit an injured person wounds and checking the progress of in the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, July 29 2006. (Photo: WAFA) injured people, many of whom were hurt very severely. Caritas Jerusalem's President HB Msgr. Michel Sabbah leads a delegation of religious leaders on a humanitarian mission to the ancient city of Nablus Nablus is one of the oldest cities in the world. For Christians it represents a very holy place because of the presence of our Lord in this town some 2000 years ago. A well from which Jesus drank (John 4) can still be found in this city. The theme of this story was one of reconciliation and love, but today in Nablus, the situation facing this city is one for serious concern. Nablus has been experiencing a serious blockade since the end of June 2006. In response to serious military events in the city and an armed invasion by the Israeli army on July 19-21, HB Msgr. Sabbah addresses the assembled religious leaders from Jerusalem made a solidarity visit to religious and civil leaders of Nablus. (All Photos: Caritas) Nablus. They brought with them 500 parcels of food for poor families along with a donation for the St. Luke's Hospital. The visit was organized in coordination with the Governor of Nablus, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Social Affairs, Caritas Jerusalem and with religious leaders in Nablus. The solidarity visit to Nablus included His Beatitude Msgr. Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Caritas Jerusalem's President plus several other religious leaders. Nablus suffered a serious incursion last week. Reports showed "at least three Palestinians were killed Wednesday (July 19) in exchanges of fire after an IDF paratrooper unit surrounded a compound [a regional government building] in Nablus. IDF The delegation outside of the church at forces killed a fourth Palestinian later Wednesday, during Jacob's Well in Nablus. clashes with stone-throwers in Nablus. … By early Wednesday afternoon, dozens of Palestinians, including security officers, had exited the compound in surrender. (Haaretz, 20/7/06- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/740311.html)." Of those people who surrender, 15 were arrested.
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