Our intervention in wartime - EN

Our interventions

in wartime

Sebastia

Gaza

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

Jerusalem

Cardinal Pizzaballa's Call for Peace

Our planned interventions

Voices from the field

Bethlehem

Our planned interventions

Charity organizations

Rony Tabash's words

Hogar Niño Dios

How do we support this institution?

The members of the Incarnate Word religious order oversee this group home, which houses 36 disabled children between the ages of 2 and 18. These children and adolescents come from families that are either unable or unwilling to care for them due to the prevalent social stigma in Palestinian society surrounding the issue of disability.

In the framework of the job orientation project, the role of a physiotherapist has been added to support the staff and nuns for a period of six months starting from October 2023. Additionally, we are concluding a rehabilitation project for the pool to conduct aquatic physiotherapy activities.

Società Antoniana

Società Antoniana is a nursing home for lonely seniors managed by the Sisters of the Hortus Conclusus. Currently, it accommodates 33 elderly individuals, including 28 women. In Palestine, with no social security system in place, the main source of support for the elderly is typically their children. This is why elderly individuals without children often live in conditions of poverty.

How do we support this institution?

The collaboration with the Sisters involves carrying out renovation works, supporting the staff through training, and providing medicines. In this emergency situation, efforts are underway to reactivate the Day Care Center, which, before the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed approximately 60 elderly individuals to receive a hot meal and engage in communal activities.

Casa del Fanciullo

The Casa del Fanciullo is a day and residential group home managed by the Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, hosting 27 children aged 8 to 17 who are orphans or come from families with issues of addiction and/or violence.

How do we support this institution?

Amjad's story

As of today, at Dar al Majus, there is an Italian and Spanish language course for the children of Casa del Fanciullo, along with psychosocial support activities to address the ongoing traumas they experience.

Al momento stiamo sostenendo la scuola con la partecipazione al pagamento di alcune rette per alcuni ragazzi provenienti dai villaggi più poveri e con il sostegno all’acquisto di ricambi per apparecchi acustici. La maggior parte degli studenti, infatti, non riesce a coprire i costi della retta annuale, pur essendo molto bassa. A causa della situazione odierna e la conseguente chiusura dei checkpoint solo 45 bambini stanno riuscendo a raggiungere quotidianamente la scuola.

Come supportiamo l'Istituto?

Istituto Effetà

The Institute is attended by approximately 200 deaf students from all over Palestine. The school welcomes children from ages 2 to 18, accompanying them from preschool to graduation. Students receive both collective and individual assistance, and the unique aspect of the school is the use of oral methods instead of sign language, aiming to make students as independent as possible and integrated into social contexts.

The words of Sister Carmela

At the moment, we are supporting the school by contributing to the payment of fees for some students from the poorest villages and assisting in the purchase of spare parts for hearing aids. Most of the students, in fact, cannot cover the costs of the annual fee, even though it is very low. Due to the current situation and the consequent closure of checkpoints, only 45 children are able to reach the school on a daily basis..

How do we support the institute?

Gaza

Emergency response

The butterfly children

The appeal of Father Romanelli

The Christian community

The Christian community

A beacon of hope

Before the outbreak of the war, there were approximately 1,017 Christians in the entire Strip, including 135 Latin Catholics. At the Catholic parish of the Holy Family in Gaza City, a total of 700 people have found shelter, 54 of whom are disabled individuals assisted by the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Some of these people have lost their homes, while others have chosen to abandon them, considering the church a safer place to take refuge.

The Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius

Sebastia

Our planned interventions

Where are we

Working with our partner Mosaic Centre

By the side of the displaced

In the next 12 months, we aim to strengthen first-aid activities for the butterfly children and the population taking refuge in the Latin parish. As soon as it becomes possible, the goal is to assess the living conditions of displaced families and intervene for safety measures and reconstruction. At the moment, there are no safety conditions to conduct a precise assessment.

St. Porphyrius church

St. Porphyrius is a Christian Orthodox church in Gaza and the oldest active church in the city (5th century). The modern construction was undertaken by the Crusaders in the years 1150-1160, who dedicated it to St. Porphyrius, the Bishop of Gaza. The church, which in recent weeks provided refuge to more than 400 people, has been hit by bombings that resulted in the death of 17 Christians.

PEACE APPEAL FROM JERUSALEM Review the live broadcast with His Most Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Football training to keep the hope alive

In this period of psychological and economic pressure, with the absence of tourists, the community of Sebastia, especially the younger segments of the population, is experiencing a situation of extreme uncertainty and vulnerability due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the escalating violence from Israeli settlers living in colonies around the village. In this context, we want to offer young people the opportunity to engage in recreational and educational activities, to continue hoping for a future where dialogue and coexistence are still possible. The initiative includes organizing a football training course to prepare young participants for sports competitions. Fifteen boys aged 13 to 15 will participate, and at the end of the course, a tournament with four teams is planned, featuring the participation of youth teams from nearby villages.

"If even the day after the attack on October 7th, this hospital saw Palestinians and Israelis working side by side in caring for the sick, then we must consider this territory as a sick territory in need of healing. It's certainly easier to solve the problem by bombing. However, there may be a different way, and we are a small testimony to that. The Custodian said that we are a tiny voice in the sea, but we are here and a continuous testimony that another situation is possible for these two peoples."

CARLA BENELLI pro terra sancta cultural projects manager

Interventions in Bethlehem and its surroundings

Within our Listening Center, which assists approximately 800 people each year, we intend to strengthen the following activities: Medical and social assistance: providing support to individuals in need for basic medical care, hospitalization, as well as assistance with rent, bills, and school fees. Psychological support: conducting group interventions for children and youth exhibiting risky behaviors and psychosocial disorders. Vocational training and job orientation: offering pathways for young individuals outside the educational system and for women seeking economic independence.