LWF staff prepare a shipment of medical supplies and cancer medication in August 2024. The truck reached Gaza City in September last year. Photo: LWF/ Jordan
Relieved about ceasefire, worried about violence in West Bank
(LWI) - Following the start of a ceasefire in the Gaza strip two days ago, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is intensifying efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to the war-torn region. A truck carrying medical supplies and cancer medication is already on the way to Gaza City, while two additional shipments—one with food and the other with winter clothing and blankets—are being prepared.
“We hope the supplies will arrive quickly, but understandably, in recent days, trucks carrying food have been prioritized at the border crossings,” says Ameera Khamees, LWF Country Representative in Jordan. She expressed hope that the medical supplies will reach Gaza City this week, where LWF collaborates with the Al-Ahli Hospital. The hospital is overwhelmed by the sheer number of sick and injured victims from the 15-month conflict.
Additional aid underway
While the shipment is underway, the LWF country programs in Jerusalem and Jordan are preparing two more humanitarian shipments. One will carry essential food supplies, and the other will deliver winter clothing and blankets to those in need. “The bureaucratic procedures from the Israeli administration are still in place,” explains Sieglinde Weinbrenner, LWF Country Representative in Jerusalem.
LWF Jerusalem has launched a flash appeal, calling for donations to support its humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The emergency response plan includes facilitating medical evacuations for cancer patients from Gaza to the LWF Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem and deploying a medical team from the AVH to provide care directly in Gaza.
“Currently, Palestinian doctors and nurses are not allowed into Gaza, and medical evacuations remain impossible,” adds Weinbrenner. “We continue to advocate for patients to receive life-saving treatment.”
As LWF’s team mobilizes to respond to the dire need in Gaza, new concerns arise over escalating military action in Jenin, the north of the West Bank. Closed checkpoints are disrupting staff movement and daily routines. “Many of our staff at AVH live in the West Bank,” Weinbrenner explains. “They are relieved the violence in Gaza has stopped, but they remain deeply worried about what lies ahead.”
