World Vision UK is likely to scale up their relief response target from 50,000 to 100,000 people following three weeks of turmoil and bloodshed. The cold harsh reality of destruction and enormous need is becoming ever more clear, with food and candles part of World Vision’s first family emergency kits to be trucked into Gaza.

Subsequent World Vision shipments will include another 15,000 family emergency kits, 8,000 blankets and 8,000 hygiene kits. With thousands of local families displaced and seeking refuge in emergency shelters, these are urgently needed due the widespread loss of basic possessions.

World Vision’s key focus in relief and recovery is child protection, with two child friendly spaces in both North and South Gaza currently under construction. As well as childcare, World Vision’s staff has begun to survey the damage, with plans over the nine months to work with the local community to get basic services in Gaza up and running again. Livelihoods need to be restored as soon as possible with the majority of its 1.5 million residents now dependent on humanitarian aid.

CEO for World Vision UK, Charles Badenoch, said –

• We are committed to relieving human suffering wherever we find it – especially the suffering of children who are often the hardest hit.
• We are committed to being able to look into the eyes of those who need our support, regardless of their political, racial or religious affiliations.
• We are committed to help regardless of how the need was created – earthquake, cyclone, famine, drought, tsunami or war.

‘Most importantly, we are committed to giving you the opportunity to show those who need your help that you care. That is why we have launched our Gaza emergency appeal. Those children who today are living on the streets, those families without homes, water, food or sanitation are first of all human beings. We cannot allow their suffering to go on.

We only ask for your support when we are confident that we can deliver aid. We have been working in this region since 1975, and we have operations in Rafah and in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza City. World Vision has local staff on the ground, who have already begun distributing food to 3,000 people in Gaza. We are part of the DEC coalition of aid agencies and are, therefore, committed to high standards of operation. We will also make sure that we report back to you on the impact that your support has made.’