By Shirabe Yamada | Executive Director, Sunbula
Dear Friends,
I am writing to update you on the latest situation in Palestine and its impact on our artisans.
Since the current crisis started on October 7th, the Palestinian communities in the West Bank have been placed under closure, where the movement between different areas have become virtually impossible. While the situation within each area is relatively calm, our artisan groups are forced to operate in a reduced scale -- people are unable to leave their villages because of the road blocks or for the fear of settler violence. The whole situation remains uncertain, and is causing a set-back to our achievements of the year: the recovery of sales to the pre-pandemic level, successful training activities for reviving a disappearing embroidery technique, and the launching of a new sewing workshop to create work opportunities for Bedouin women.
We have been in daily contact with our two partner artisan groups in the Gaza Strip: Atfaluna Society and Sulafa Embroidery Centre. Atfaluna employs 150 people with hearing disability, and runs craft-making workshops for income-generation. Sulafa provides embroidery and sewing work to 300 refugee women through a network of women's centers across the Strip. We are learning that:
- The buildings of both groups have suffered damages. Sulafa Embroidery Centre was damaged in extensive and unprecedented bombings of UNRWA HQs where it is located.
- Two-thirds of Atfaluna employees have been forced to flee their homes to the shelters at UNRWA-run schools.
- Many people from both groups, including their family members, have been injured, and some have lost their loved ones.
- Unknown number of homes belonging to the families of both groups have been damaged or destroyed.
The numbers of casualties and displaced continue to climb under the relentless air strikes and the siege.
Sunbula will soon be launching a Gaza emergency appeal. We plan to raise direct aid to Atfaluna and Sulafa, in order to help them provide the most pressing humanitarian needs of their families.
Please stay tuned!
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