In January 2009,  a grave humanitarian catastrophe took place in Gaza due to a conflict between Israel and Hamas.   According to the United Nations, 50,800 people were made homeless and had no access to the basic necessities of life.  400,000 people were without running water.  Entire villages and neighbourhoods were totally razed to the ground.  Most water, sewer, and power facilities were completely destroyed or rendered inoperable.  Aid agencies on the ground said that the worst-hit areas appeared as though they had been struck by a powerful earthquake.

In some cases, entire families were totally annihilated while in others, victims mourned the loss of at least one family member and struggled to care for wounded survivors.  The Gaza Strip has been under embargo with little in the way of food and medical supplies able to trickle in.

Humanserve International responded to this emergency by providing a viable channel for our supporters to be able to donate and help the victims of this catastrophe.  Due to the difficulty in getting field workers into the disaster area, Humanserve partnered with the Canadian Red Cross who is supporting the personnel of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Palestine Red Crescent Society operating in the Gaza Strip, providing emergency relief and humanitarian assistance to the victims.