How is Muslim Aid getting your donations into Gaza this Ramadan?

As Ramadan approaches, Gaza remains on the mind of the ummah. Over 150 days, we have witnessed 30,000 deaths, 70,000 injured, 1.8 million displaced and countless tragedies and traumatic experiences. Images, videos, tears and cries have been etched in our minds to the point in which some of us can’t even wash our hands without remembering the situation in Palestine.

We’re watching aid enter Gaza at the slowest pace ever as bombs continue to shower the enclave. 1.8 million people are being forced into Rafah, an area that is the size of Heathrow Airport; the rest of those left behind in northern Gaza are dying in their skeletal bodies as they’re starved in ways that have only happened in multiple genocides over the last decades.

Because of this, it’s easy to feel demoralised and say there’s no point in donating when aid is being stopped at the Rafah border crossing, but we know all too well that holding off on aid is not the answer. It’s important for you as a donor to be selective, and it’s important for us as organisations to be transparent about the situation. Here’s how we’re Serving Humanity in Gaza with all the restrictions that we’re faced with.

1. We’ve been working in Gaza since 2006 and we’ve got dedicated staff members and partners that have been with us for a long time. While we couldn’t play guesswork with the political backdrop, we anticipated that a crisis like this might happen and the vulnerabilities that Gaza, a strip that has been besieged for 16 years, may face. Because of this, we have an emergency fund and a large stockpile of items prepared. We also supported partners with pre-positioned stock to streamline operations.

2. Aid is entering Gaza, but at an unacceptably slow pace with an extortionate level of restrictions. Our reputation, institutional connections and longevity as an organisation means we have access to work with local partners and relevant government institutions to facilitate the entry of aid. We are currently working with the Red Crescents and relevant authorities of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to get aid through. We are also supporting the procurement and importation of vital aid through our long-standing implementing partners, who are ready to distribute the items as soon as they reach Gaza.

3. We are also collaborating with partners inside and outside Gaza. In Gaza, we’re supporting the projects that our trusted partners can facilitate, and outside of Gaza, we’re collaborating with other charities and organisations to ensure that that we’re doing whatever we can as fast as we can rather than duplicating effort. 4. In northern Gaza, where the entry of aid is virtually impossible, we were transferring cash grants so civilians can buy food at inflated prices.

5. Our staff members in HQ routinely go to the Rafah border crossing to oversee operations.

At Muslim Aid, we are doing more than just aid work. We are leveraging our reputation and influence in the UK to influence policy makers to create a difference on the ground. We were mentioned in a Parliamentary debate, co-signed an open letter to MPs with 64 organisations and upscaled our advocacy for Gaza.

Our approach to Gaza is vast in scope and action because we know that the Palestinian people need us to act fast, hard and smart.

Support your brothers and sisters in Palestine by donating to our emergency campaign, writing to your MPs, calling for a ceasefire, and doing grassroots work to serve Palestine in as many ways as possible.