Holy Land: New aid sparks fresh hope
Aid to the Church in Need has announced a second package of emergency aid for Christians who have lost their livelihoods because of the war in Gaza.
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will support the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with $550,000 between January and April 2024, bringing the total amount of aid since the start of the fighting last October to nearly $770,000. Of the total amount, $330,000 will go to the estimated 1,000 Christians remaining in Gaza. The rest of the funds will help Christian families in the West Bank and East Jerusalem who have been affected by the conflict in Gaza.
Most Christians in the Holy Land in the Holy Land work in the tourism sector, and they have lost all sources of income since pilgrimages to the region have mostly been canceled. The newly announced aid package includes life-saving medicine, food coupons, and grants for school and university students, as well as housing costs.
ACN will also support training programs to equip young Christians with new professional skills and offer them guidance in starting businesses. Marco Mencaglia, ACN’s Director of Projects, said, “From the beginning of this war, we have told our partners on the ground in the Holy Land that we will not abandon them, either in terms of material help or in terms of spiritual aid, and we intend to fulfil that promise.”
He added that despite the fighting in Gaza, “the effects of the war are felt all over the region, and Christians, who are a minority but still a significant community – with about 45,000 in the West Bank and 10,000 in East Jerusalem – are being affected very directly.”
Mencaglia said that the Christian community in the Holy Land is facing severe economic hardship “for at least the third time” in two decades. According to Mencaglia, Christians have suffered greatly due to intermittent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, “more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now because of the war in Gaza. What’s more, there is no indication that the war is coming to an end and that tourists will begin to return to the Holy Land.”
Mencaglia explained the rationale behind ACN’s support for youth training programs: “Rather than give them money, we are helping to provide them with skills and the means to earn a living. This is much better in the long run, as it is what helps keep communities anchored in their homes and dissuades them from emigrating.”
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem told ACN: “Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Aid to the Church in Need for your ongoing collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and your support for our local communities in the Holy Land.”
—Amy Balog
