{"id":1033,"date":"2020-02-11T12:47:52","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T17:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/together-justice\/?p=1033"},"modified":"2020-03-27T14:45:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T18:45:31","slug":"php-partner-works-for-food-security-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/together-justice\/2020\/02\/11\/php-partner-works-for-food-security-in-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP partner works for food security in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vulnerable and disadvantaged farmers in the most damaged areas of Gaza benefit from agricultural support<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Merfat and her daughter consult with a member of IDCO’s staff. Photo courtesy of IDCO.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Gaza Strip is a\u00a0 self-governing Palestinian territory bordered by Egypt and Israel along the Mediterranean sea. There are more than 1.8 million people living there on land that measures just under than 150 sq. mi.<\/p>\n

Since 2007, Israel and Egypt have maintained some form of a land, air and sea blockade on Gaza, controlling the flow of resources and people to and from the zone. There has been continued violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement which came to power in the Gaza Strip in 2006.<\/p>\n

More than half of the households in Gaza are food insecure (44%) or vulnerable to food insecurity (16%).<\/a> Gaza lacks basic infrastructure like proper clean drinking water and sanitation systems. Thirty-five percent<\/a> of Gaza’s agricultural land is located in high risk restricted zones and therefore is off limits for cultivation.<\/p>\n

The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) has been partnering with the Gaza grassroots organization Improvement and Development for Communities Center (IDCO)<\/em> since 2014. IDCO is doing really important work in the Gaza Strip to improve food security.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A woman farmer tends to her crops in Gaza. Photo courtesy of IDCO.<\/p><\/div>\n

IDCO targets vulnerable and disadvantaged farmers in the most damaged areas of Gaza to equip them, in particular women, with new highly efficient irrigation networks, vegetable seedlings, and trainings on irrigation saving measures, crop scheduling, farm service, integrated pesticide management, and home gardens.<\/p>\n

Merfat, a mother in one of the participating families, shared that the family\u2019s sole source of income was their land, and that they relied on selling\u00a0 crops in the market each harvest season.\u00a0 Though struggling, they made ends meet until a tragedy struck their household.\u00a0 Their youngest daughter had a congenital heart flaw and required surgery to survive.\u00a0 The family used everything they had to rescue their daughter, and they were joyful following a successful operation.<\/p>\n

Then they faced the reality of bankruptcy.\u00a0 Previously they had grown cucumbers, but the land was dry and uncultivated, they didn\u2019t have enough fertilizers to refresh the land, and the family had no money to purchase materials.<\/p>\n

IDCO, through a grant from PHP, installed an irrigation network on a section of their land.\u00a0 Merfat shared, \u201cWe always had to make a choice of what to grow, not being able to benefit from the remaining part of our farmland.\u00a0 Now we can grow whatever we want, most importantly, wherever we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merfat is thankful.\u00a0 With the vegetable seedlings that were also provided, production on the family\u2019s land has increased.\u00a0 Now instead of 2 tons, they can sell 3 tons of vegetables from each quarter acre.\u00a0 This means the family has greater financial security, allowing them to raise their children and provide medication for their daughter.<\/p>\n

PHP continues to support the work of IDCO in Palestine.\u00a0 Provision of seedlings, distribution of organic manures, creation of working days for agricultural workers, and sensitization on environmentally sound agriculture and water saving techniques were among their goals for 2019.\u00a0 In 2020, plans include the renovation of damaged greenhouses and provision of inputs such as manure, irrigation networks, farming tools, and plants.<\/p>\n

Give to the One Great Hour of Sharing<\/a> to support PHP’s extreme hunger work in conflict zones like the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n

\n

TAKE ACTION<\/h4>\n

Demand an End to the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza.<\/a> Just six weeks into 2020, the humanitarian crisis has reached a tipping point as military interventions, limited movement, financial instability, and deteriorating infrastructure have left Gazans with little hope for a peaceful and secure future. The depletion of Gaza\u2019s only local source of potable water has made drinking water a serious health threat, with the World Health Organization declaring 97% of Gaza\u2019s aquifer unfit for human consumption. Unemployment has skyrocketed in recent years to 47% of the population, and over 69% among Gazan youth..<\/p>\n

Given these life-threatening realities for individuals trapped in Gaza as well as the harmful impacts of the Trump Administration\u2019s \u201cPeace to Prosperity\u201d proposal, the Administration can and must do more to improve the dire situation for individuals living there.<\/p>\n

Voice your opposition to US legitimization of Israeli settlements.<\/a> Please contact your representatives in Washington, urging them to reject the Administration\u2019s reversal, and to continue to oppose Israeli settlements and settlement construction, expansion, and activity.\u00a0 If your representative signed the letter to Secretary\u00a0Pompeo, please express your thanks and urge her\/him to remain engaged.<\/p>\n

Israel has built and expanded settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since its occupation of those territories began in June 1967.\u00a0 Today, it is estimated that there are more than 800,000 settlers living in over 230 settlements in those places.\u00a0 International law has consistently held that they are illegal, and this was reaffirmed in the 2016 UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which the US did not oppose.<\/p>\n

On November 18, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the current Administration would reverse decades-long US policy holding that Israeli settlements are inconsistent with international law.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The work of the Presbyterian Hunger Program is possible thanks to your gifts to\u00a0<\/em>One Great Hour of Sharing<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vulnerable and disadvantaged farmers in the most damaged areas of Gaza benefit from agricultural support The Gaza Strip is a\u00a0 self-governing Palestinian territory bordered by Egypt and Israel along the Mediterranean sea. There are more than 1.8 million people living there on land that measures just under than 150 sq. mi. Since 2007, Israel and… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":1039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[717,24],"tags":[63,7,88,1314,1313,13],"class_list":["post-1033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conflict","category-poverty","tag-agriculture","tag-farming","tag-food-security","tag-gaza","tag-palestine","tag-poverty"],"yoast_head":"\nPHP partner works for food security in Gaza - Together for Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/together-justice\/2020\/02\/11\/php-partner-works-for-food-security-in-gaza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PHP partner works for food security in Gaza\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vulnerable and disadvantaged farmers in the most damaged areas of Gaza benefit from agricultural support The Gaza Strip is a\u00a0 self-governing Palestinian territory bordered by Egypt and Israel along the Mediterranean sea. 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