In parts of the Middle East bread is referred to as “life” as it is a staple in many of these countries' diets. There is nothing that compares to the delicious, comforting smell of warm bread baking in the oven. Better yet, the taste of freshly baked bread as it melts in your mouth. It is one of the greatest feelings, your hunger almost immediately subsides and a feeling of peace and contentment washes over you.
A Daily Staple
In Gaza, bread, a universal pleasure, brings a sense of comfort and normalcy. Khubz is a traditional Arabic bread made from a simple recipe of flour, water, yeast, and a pinch of salt. Palestinians eat this bread every day providing essential nourishment and well-being.
As you stroll along the lanes of Gaza, the delightful presence of neighborhood bakeries becomes apparent. Their ovens and employees at hard work satisfy the everyday need for freshly baked bread. These establishments buzz with activity, providing a communal space for locals to engage, exchange stories, and lend support to one another, as well as, a function as a place to refuel and/or get your bread for the week.
However, recently many of these bakeries are no longer available. Neither is the bread they used to bake. As the conflict has intensified over the last two weeks, so much infrastructure has been lost, including many bakeries that the people would enjoy. In addition to this, the ingredients needed to make bread are sparse. Many people are going hungry due to a lack of food essentials including bread.
One week ago, Life for Relief and Development coordinated with a local Gaza bakery to bring innocent civilians freshly baked bread. The project was a major success not only filling the bellies of the people of Gaza but also giving them a sense of home. Close to 700 people received bundles filled with bread. Enough to last a week. In addition to this, the project gave the remaining local bakeries a boost and a means to keep running during such a difficult time.
This food was critical at a time when not enough aid is reaching the people of Gaza, the citizens are starving. There is an acute scarcity of essential resources such as water, food, and shelter. Many families are left with the harsh reality of survival, as their daily lives are enveloped in uncertainty.
With the help of donors like you LIFE has also been able to distribute a total of 3,333 individuals hot meals, 1,100 women and children warm blankets, and 302 families ready-to-eat food baskets. Additionally, 230 families were supported through food and hygiene packages, Hospitals in Gaza received hundreds of medical supplies from LIFE including anesthesia medications, emergency relief medications, antibiotics, medical cotton, and gauze.
It is imperative that we all collectively continue to help civilians in Gaza. LIFE is among the few organizations with dedicated teams inside Gaza, allowing your gifts of relief to reach innocent women, children, and men.
Every act of compassion gives an innocent person food, a warm blanket, and clean water to drink, this can be the difference between life and death. LIFE wants to thank its donors for making the most recent distributions in Gaza possible. Please give today.
Photos of the bakery in Gaza where LIFE team members worked to bake fresh bread for locals.
