Americares Responds to Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

The health care system in Gaza has collapsed due to attacks on health facilities and shortages of electricity, medicine, equipment and specialized personnel.

There are no fully functioning hospitals for a population of over 2 million people. Gaza’s health workers continue to serve their communities, but their ability to save lives is hindered due to lack of critical medicines and supplies.

While aid delivery has improved under the fragile ceasefire, humanitarian organizations face continued challenges with Israeli authorities restricting some organizations from bringing aid into Gaza and some cargo denied, or delayed, at operational crossings.

Americares has an expansive partner network that includes both local and international aid organizations and can quickly pivot and channel funding and medical aid to partner organizations on the ground in Gaza as the situation evolves.

Americares most recent shipment includes enough chemotherapy treatments for over 300 patients plus enough medicines to manage cancer-related side effects for over 3,000 patients.

Working closely with trusted partners on the ground, Americares has already helped provide medical care for more than 43,000 patients and supported mental health services for over 27,000 people in Gaza.

Americares is steadfast in our commitment to supporting health services for people in Gaza suffering from malnutrition and forced displacement and violence after more than two years of war.

Your Support in Action

After moving several times to flee bombing, Nada, her husband and their three young children were living in a tent in central Gaza. But the family could not escape the famine that was gripping the territory.

“I was truly starving,” says Nada. “There was no food, no milk, no fruit. I used to faint from exhaustion. Moreover, we were walking long distances on foot while fleeing.” Nada was still nursing her youngest son. When she became severely malnourished, her milk dried up, and her baby grew weak and thin. “I tried to feed him, but I had nothing to give,” she says. The baby cried through the night.

In the fall of 2025, Nada began visiting a nearby mother and child clinic, operated by Anera and funded by Americares, where she received medical and emotional care.

At the clinic, Nada received information about breastfeeding and rebuilding her strength with small, frequent meals. “Every week it’s the same routine,” says Nada. “They check [my son’s] growth and vital signs. They even prescribe supplements,” says Nada. “I truly feel they care about us, not just as numbers, but as mothers.”

Support for the clinic is part of Americares response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which also includes 35 tons of medicine and medical supplies and funding for mental health programs.

The mother and child clinic in Gaza can provide comprehensive care for 4,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers each month. Services including medical checkups, psychological support and counseling on nutrition and lactation.

“Honestly, these Tuesday visits bring me so much comfort. They’re like a weekly breath of relief,” she says.

Gradually, both mother and baby’s health began to improve. “[My son] started to gain weight, and I began to eat again,” Nada says. “I started to feel small things like hunger, warmth and even a bit of calm. They treat us with humanity, they ask how we’re doing, they listen. Maybe the world has collapsed, but there are still people who care.”

Links:

• Americares Response: Gaza Humanitarian Conflict

Update

Americares remains steadfast in our commitment to support health services for people in Gaza suffering from famine, malnutrition, forced displacement and violence.

While aid delivery has improved under the fragile ceasefire, humanitarian organizations face continued challenges with Israeli authorities restricting some organizations from bringing aid into Gaza and some cargo denied, or delayed, at operational crossings. Americares has an expansive partner network that includes both local and international aid organizations and can quickly pivot and channel funding and medical aid to partner organizations on the ground in Gaza as the situation evolves.

We have 8 tons of medicines and medical supplies ready to deliver to Gaza, including cancer treatments and orthopedic supplies, as soon as Israel lifts restrictions on shipments.

At the same time, Americares continues to support partner organizations with staff on the ground in Gaza. Americares plays a critical role in the response by funding desperately needed health services, including mental health support, for children and adults in Gaza.

Response Overview

Since October 2023, Americares has delivered 35 tons of essential medicine and medical supplies to Gaza, including enough medicine to fill more than 350,000 prescriptions, supported medical care for over 43,000 patients in Gaza and supported mental health programs reaching more than 27,000 people in Gaza.

Americares has also awarded more than $1 million in emergency funding to meet urgent health needs. Funds have been provided for mental health support, medication and medical teams providing essential health care services.

Funding has supported services such as:

• mental health and psychosocial support through: individual and group care, a hotline staffed by psychologists, mind-body self-care workshops, community outreach and training for health workers
• safe spaces and recreational and arts-based activities for children
• awareness sessions and support groups for adolescents and caregivers
• food, water and essential hygiene products for frontline workers
• a mother and child clinic providing lifesaving medical care for displaced women and children
• baby formula for infants and young children living in displacement shelters and temporary housing
• distribution of hygiene kits, clothing and educational materials to families
• mobile medical clinics offering free health consultations to displaced individuals living in shelters and tents
• distributing oncology medication for cancer patients

Americares has been supporting the health system in Gaza and the West Bank with deliveries of essential medicines and medical supplies for over 30 years. As the humanitarian crisis continues, Americares will continue to play a critical role in the health response.

Links:

• https://www.americares.org/emergency-program/israel-gaza-war/