MECA News Winter 2024
MECA News Winter 2024
As Genocide Unfolds,
MECA Provides Emergency Aid
The people of Gaza, most of who are refugees from
the 1948 Nakba, have been living under Israeli military
occupation since 1967, and under a 17-year blockade that
has deliberately caused deprivation and impoverishment.
Since October 7, they have been struggling to survive
Israeli bombs, a ground invasion, snipers, and an Israeli
siege that leaves them searching daily for food, water,
and electricity. At least half of all homes are destroyed
and nearly the entire population displaced. All the while,
the U.S. president and government officials repeat Israeli
lies and say they want the Israeli army to “minimize
civilian casualties,” while sending weapons and money, “When we play during the session we forget the terrifying scenes.
and continually saying “No” to a ceasefire. Children who We want to play and enjoy our lives.”
have so far survived the military assault are now dying of – A child in a shelter who participated in the
psychosocial activities MECA’s partners provided.
starvation and disease.
Whatever numbers we could quote now of children Beginning on October 8 and ongoing, MECA’s Gaza
who are dead, injured, orphaned, permanently disabled, team of staff, partners, and volunteers, led by Nutrition
and homeless will be higher by the time you get this Coordinator Wafaa El-Derawi, has delivered food, hygiene
newsletter. A new acronym has been coined to identify supplies, drinking water, blankets, warm children’s
many of the children who make it to hospitals: WCNSF clothing, and plastic sheets for weather protection
(Wounded Child No Surviving Family). Every child in to more than half a million people, plus fuel for three
Gaza is traumatized. hospitals running on generators. MECA partners provide
In the midst of this unmitigated horror, MECA’s staff, psychosocial support in shelters and have distributed
partners, and volunteers have shown resourcefulness, 4,000 toys and coloring books, including for injured
courage, and collective spirit that are nothing short of children being treated at one of our partner hospitals.
awe-inspiring.
MECA delivered thousands of
packages of diapers along with
other hygiene products to prevent
disease and provide some measure
of dignity to displaced people.
Day after day, the MECA team delivers food, water, and
hygiene supplies to the displaced families in their own
neighborhoods who they know need it most. Recently,
they have begun distributing ready-to-eat meal
packages from the World Central Kitchen.
2 MECA NEWS
Gaza Diaries: Wafaa’s Words of Agony, Pain, and Resilience
By Waed Abbas
My colleague, Wafaa, has been To say that we’re in awe of our colleagues in Gaza is an
leading MECA’s aid distribution understatement, our colleagues are physically and mentally
efforts in Gaza since October. broken, yet they continue to work. They continue to do their
These are her words, which best to attend to the needs of people in Gaza.
came to me over voice notes on If they keep going, who are we to stop?
WhatsApp in the days after the We should go out every day to the streets screaming our
short truce in November. lungs out for a permanent ceasefire and for justice to prevail.
How could I comfort this amazing woman who’s lost loved Keep talking about Palestine, keep organizing for
one after loved one and who has refused to stop working Palestine, and never stop seeking justice.
since day one of the war on Gaza? Free Palestine from the river to the sea until we are all
One thing I can do is share her words: free.
#15178
MECA NEWS 5
Beloved Student Shot Down in West Bank
Muhammed Majid Hammad, a beloved and admired about school, and
young man who received a MECA university scholarship this I want to create
year, was killed by Israeli forces on October 10, 2023 near more spaces for
his home in Al-Arroub refugee camp in Hebron. He was just the children and
nineteen and in his second year at Palestine Polytechnic rest of the people
University. in my community.
On his scholarship Muhammed’s
application, he wrote: mother called us
“I did lots of research to share this sad
into different specialties news, saying, “I
that would both fulfill my am not saying
interests in life but also help this because he
me give back to my society, was my son, but
and I finally found the perfect ask anyone about
specialty, architecture and him, from his
design… I want to help friends to his university professors … they all just loved him,
people in my refugee camp and they wept at his funeral.” Right away she asked for the
to maintain their simple remainder of her son’s scholarship funds to be donated to
beautiful houses …I want to another student.
make school rooms better Muhammed, your legacy of dreams, hopes, and ambitions
so students get more excited will live on, and we will never forget you.
6 MECA NEWS
Grassroots Fundraisers for Gaza
MECA NEWS 7
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