Situation in Gaza reaches 'catastrophic levels,' warns Catholic humanitarian organization

(OSV News) -- Food insecurity in the Gaza Strip "has reached catastrophic levels," a Catholic humanitarian organization has warned.

In his monthly update on the situation in Gaza in late May, Joseph Hazboun, regional director for CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for Palestine and Israel, painted a bleak picture that includes overcrowding at Gaza's two Christian churches and an "increasingly dire" health situation.

Nearly 2 million people, about 90% of Gaza's population, have been "displaced and living in overcrowded, unsafe conditions," he said.

"With limited access to basic needs such as clean water, food and sanitation, health conditions are rapidly deteriorating," he said. "Vulnerable groups, including infants, the elderly and pregnant women, are facing heightened risks of disease, malnutrition and preventable deaths."

Israel's continued military bombardments since October 2023 have left the health care system in shambles, with a shortage of medicine and health care professionals, he said.

An estimated 96% of the population is facing extreme levels of food insecurity, and some families are surviving on fewer than two meals a day.

"As of mid-May, more than 90 community kitchens have been forced to close due to a lack of fuel and supplies, with the remaining kitchens ... unable to provide sufficient meals to meet the nutritional needs of the population," Hazboun reported.

The Catholic Near East Welfare Association, or CNEWA, established in 1926 by Pope Pius XI to support the Eastern churches, administers the Pontifical Mission, which was founded as the Pontifical Mission for Palestine by Pope Pius XII in 1949 to care for Palestinian refugees. The mandate of the mission, which was subsequently placed under CNEWA’s direction, has been extended by several pontiffs to care for all those affected by war and poverty in the Middle East.

In a May 29 statement, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said that since the attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, "the situation has reached tragic levels beyond anyone's worst fears."

"The horrific massacre of innocent Israelis and the subsequent response from Israel has resulted in unimaginable loss of life and human suffering," said the archbishop, who has been a vocal advocate for peace.

Regarding the Israeli-Hamas war, Archbishop Wester has signed on to joint letters calling for an end to the war, including a letter in January 2024 that he and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, now archbishop of Washington, issued a statement calling for an "immediate and total" ceasefire.

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on southern Israel. Nearly 1,200 people were killed, including more than 700 Israeli civilians, and Hamas took 251 hostages into Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched an attack on Gaza that has killed at least 53,655 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Many Christians have fled or tried to flee Gaza since the war began, Hazboun said, but leaving has been difficult.

Approximately 400 people have sought shelter at the compound of Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in Gaza. Hazboun said limited humanitarian aid is only distributed twice a month, and more than 100 people have chosen to return to their damaged homes because of overcrowding.

"Despite these challenges, the church remains committed to supporting the community," he said. "It provides vital psychosocial support to children through structured programs and has set up a small school and kindergarten to ensure some continuity in education during this crisis."

St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church is sheltering about 150 people and, as with Holy Family Church, some have returned to their partially damaged homes because of overcrowding.

"The church continues to provide critical support to both those sheltering within and to vulnerable families in the surrounding area," said Hazboun. "For children, small-scale recreational activities offer a brief respite from the ongoing trauma, although these efforts are constrained by the severe shortage of resources."

The United Nations reports more than 1 million children in Gaza require immediate psychosocial support. In addition, nearly 85% of Gaza's schools have been damaged or destroyed.

"Thousands of students have been unable to sit for their matriculation exams, further compounding the impact on their future," Hazboun said.

Partner organizations in Gaza have requested assistance from CNEWA-Pontifical Mission for food for displaced families and for basic health care and psychosocial programs for adults and children.

Working with the Near East Council of Churches, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission distributes fresh vegetables when available at the two churches as well as to people living on their own. Pontifical Mission has long supported Anglican-run al-Ahli Arab Hospital and, since January, has partnered with the hospital to provide urgent medical services.

"These services are vital as Gaza faces an alarming rise in injuries, trauma cases, burn victims and widespread infectious diseases due to unsanitary conditions and unsafe water. The hospital, now operating 24/7, is overburdened, using every available space for patient care," Hazboun said.

At the end of his general audience at the Vatican May 28, Pope Leo XIV pleaded for peace in Gaza.

"In the Gaza Strip, the cry of mothers, of fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of children and who are continually forced to move in search of a little food and safer shelter from bombing, rises ever more intensely to the sky," the pope said.

In an interview with Vatican News a day earlier, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, called for an end to the bombardments of Gaza, for necessary aid to be allowed to reach the people, and for Hamas to immediately release all remaining hostages.

For his part, Archbishop Wester said that Oct. 7, 2023, "was a day of unspeakable darkness and hate" and that "The last 20 months in Gaza have been more of the same."

He asked: "How many more innocent people must die, how many children must be orphaned, and how many tears must be shed before the leaders of Hamas and Israel learn that light and love are the only weapons that will bring lasting peace to the land we call holy? How long, O Lord? How long?"