AL-AHLI ARAB HOSPITAL PERSEVERES IN GAZA

Despite extraordinary setbacks and extreme circumstances, Ahli Hospital and its resilient, heroic staff remain a beacon of hope in war-torn Gaza.

January 10, 2024 – Despite constant turmoil, Ahli remains as one of the only hospitals in northern Gaza that’s functional in any capacity, serving many more patients than the staff is equipped to accommodate. In defiance of extraordinary, temporary setbacks, intermittent military occupation, and terrifying, life-threatening circumstances, the inspirational medical team and staff at Ahli Arab Hospital continue to persevere and work tirelessly for the sick, injured, and others in need. The stress on these brave individuals and the hospital facility is incomprehensible, and their resilience in fulfilling their mission of healing is exemplary.

At the time of this writing, Ahli Hospital remains open and receiving patients, treating as many as possible with both resources and staff stretched to the maximum. It is operating with a single medical team of seven doctors, serving ninety inpatients. On a daily basis, the Ministry of Health directs patients to Ahli for life-saving, orthopedic, and plastic surgeries following wartime injuries. Despite the high demand, the medical team can currently undertake only ten such procedures each day. In degrees that vary day by day, the hospital accommodates casualty overflow in its on-site chapel as well as its pharmacy, converting those areas into war trauma stations as necessity dictates.

Banks are still functional in Gaza, allowing the Diocese to continue to wire money to cover staff salaries and purchase medical supplies through partnerships with the Palestine Red Crescent Society & The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as they are available. During the ceasefire in late November, the hospital procured vital fuel, medicine, and medical supplies locally, all due to the help of donors like you who continue to support the needs of civilians caught in this tragic conflict.

Thanks to your abundant generosity, together we have raised over $2 million dollars for Ahli Hospital. Your support spreads hope to the staff at Ahli hospital and the families they are serving, providing a critical lifeline during a very dark time, and reminding them that they are not alone. Your donations are being used for staff salaries, fuel for generators, medical supplies, vouchers for food and water, and life-saving medicine, all of which could not be procured without you. By standing in solidarity with Ahli Hospital, you are contributing to their heroic narrative and making an extraordinary, immediate difference in their life-saving efforts in Gaza.

Please keep Ahli hospital and its exhausted, brave staff and medical team in your prayers. Support and fundraising efforts continue to be critical to ensure the continued operation of Ahli Hospital and all other vital diocesan institutions, providing for the well-being of those affected by the Israel-Hamas war in the Holy Land. As the situation evolves, AFEDJ will continue to provide accurate, verifiable, relevant, mission-focused updates.

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***As a nonsectarian, nonpolitical 501(c)(3) nonprofit, AFEDJ does not engage in explicitly political activities. AFEDJ offers a resource list on our website of organizations that offer the opportunity to advocate on behalf of vulnerable and displaced people in the Middle East. You may find it here: https://afedj.org/resources/advocacy-organizations/