Where To Donate Aid to Palestinian, Israeli Victims of Violence

On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israeli towns along the eastern side of the Gaza Strip. Across farming communities (kibbutz) and the Nova Festival, Hamas massacred 1,400 people, injured 3,400, and took nearly 200 hostages. In retaliation, the Israeli Defense Federation led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has increased their already-normalized bombing of the people of Gaza. The open air prison is about the size of Greater Detroit and is home to roughly 2,300,000 Palestinians. In the 10 days since Hamas’ attack, the IDF has killed 3,000 people and injured 12,500 more. With homes and refugee centers bombed, one out of every five people living in Gaza are now displaced. Death and injury tolls from both Israel and Gaza are expected to rise.

Survivors are in immediate need of many things, including aid because the violence shows no signs of slowing down. Here are some places to donate to help the most recent victims of violence of both Hamas and Israel’s attacks.

Where to donate to the victims of violence

There are lots of organizations (many multinational), like UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and Red Cross, that have dedicated groups working to attend to immediate needs and bring people monetary relief. However, instead of sharing those, I’m centering some smaller organizations that are narrowly focused. Note that all the links go directly to their donation page, but feel free to navigate to their main sites for more information.

• Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)—Founded in the 1990s, this organization centers on child healthcare and immediate medical needs. As the name suggests, their focus is mostly on children. This is important, as roughly 50% of Gaza’s population are children. The low life expectancy of the region puts the average age of people here at 18—10 years younger than the world average. That means when shelling happens (even before this latest response) the percentage of child injuries and death is much higher.
• Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)—The U.S.-based organization gives aid across South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA). However, MECA concentrates on directing child and infant aid to Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon.
• Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI)—Founded in the 1990s, this organization specializes in giving medical and legal aid to a number of people affected by the ongoing conflict. This includes Palestinians, Israelis, and regional migrants/refugees.
• American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA)—Founded in 1940 as the American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI), these donations go to MDA, the sole provider of disaster relief, ambulance, and blood services in Israel.
• The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS)—With origins going back to 1910, this organization was formally founded in 1968. As of 2006, PRCS is an official member of International Federation of Red Cross. They provide general humanitarian assistance, health services, and social services to Palestinians.
• World Central Kitchen—Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises.
• American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera)—The U.S.-based organization has provided humanitarian aid to people in the SWANA-region since the 1968 conflict between Israel and Palestine. (Not the first conflict, but among the most deadly.) While they’ve helped many affected by the violence, they focus on Palestinian refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. In additional to immediate medical relief, they also build long-term programs for health, education, and job-training.

Please note that many of these organizations could use aid year round. So, if you’re in a comfortable place financially, consider signing up for sustained donations.

Beyond donations

Please note that some of these donations will have limited impact. This is in part due to Israel cutting off access to water, power, gasoline/fuel, air travel, and the internet to the people of Gaza. Trucks stocked with necessary items are stuck outside the border of the Gaza Strip, but more will be needed once the borders open. Organizations struggle to continue to operate amid the relentless bombing and gas attacks.

All this is to say that donating only goes so far and it should come with tempered expectations. I’m not saying not to donate if you have the money, but to act beyond this. Seek out one of the many guides to attending protests safely. Some to look for include the Jewish Voice For Peace, IfNotNow, and the ANSWER Coalition.

(featured image: Ahmad Hasaballah, Getty Images)