‘Can you help us help?’

An MCC partner in Palestine is providing relief amid the devastation of Gaza

The first thing they said was “Can you help us help?” recalls Sarah Funkhouser, who, together with her husband, Seth Malone, is Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) representative for Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

Photo courtesy of Al-Najd Developmental Forum.

MCC staff were reaching out to MCC partners in Gaza to see if they were safe in the wake of days of bombing and military strikes by the Israeli military following a series of coordinated attacks on Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. When staff reached MCC partner Al-Najd Developmental Forum (Al-Najd), Funkhouser almost couldn’t believe that amid all that was happening around them, their staff were already focusing their energy on how they could best aid their neighbours.

MCC is responding to this new wave of violence in Palestine and Israel. Some MCC partners in Gaza remain unable to mount any type of relief response due to the immense threats they face. However, despite the incredible danger around them, Al-Najd has distributed bedding and emergency food rations to more than 230 families so far.

Malone says what he and Funkhouser are hearing from MCC partners about the reality in Gaza is incredibly dire.

“They’re doing their best to stay safe, but they say they fear for their lives every night. And we’re very worried for them day in and day out.”

MCC has repeatedly responded to humanitarian crises in Gaza to deliver relief supplies like food and bedding as well as longer-term recovery efforts in psychosocial support for children and repairing homes. But despite the monumental risks they’re facing, Funkhouser says MCC partners have shown an unbelievable resilience and commitment to helping those who need help right now.

“I cannot fathom how they’re doing the work that they are doing,” says Funkhouser. “Almost immediately the response from Al-Najd was ‘Can you help us help? We want to do something. Our volunteers are asking, is there something we can do?’”

Scenarios like this, where getting relief into a high-risk area from the outside is almost impossible and safety conditions are changing minute-to-minute, highlight the immense value of MCC having local partners working on the ground, says Funkhouser.

While the needs are overwhelming, MCC is responding and calling for an end to the violence, inviting everyone to take up the call to action as MCC partners continue to do—to pray, advocate and give.

“The cycle of violence must stop. Along with the international community and international humanitarian organizations, MCC calls for an immediate ceasefire and a just peace in Palestine and Israel,” says Bruce Guenther, MCC’s director of disaster response. “At a minimum, all parties must abide by international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and humanitarian access. We ask for people to give to urgent humanitarian needs and invite supporters in the U.S. and Canada to advocate for a long-term solution to the conflict, where everyone can flourish in safety and dignity.”