Suheila Tarazi, Director of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which Amos supports has sent us this update on the current situation there:

"The attack on the Gaza Strip in the year 2009 overwhelmed a region already debilitated by the preceding 18-month blockade and embargo. In the health care sector, the conflict brought the increased burdens of additional injured patients, exacerbated chronic illness, endemic psychosocial stress and malnutrition, and worsened poverty. With thousands more homeless people living in an environment corrupted by live military ordnance, residual toxins, and inadequate water and waste management resources, most health care needs are still struggling to be met at the end of 2009. Moreover, siege is still taking place, which has a negative impact on the life of the Gazans. There is an increase of unemployment to 44% with 77% living below $2 a day. According to the World Food federation " the majority of Gaza people are becoming dependant on food aid".

Due to the Israeli restrictions on the movement of people and goods, there are also shortages of medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas, lack of raw materials, and a tremendous increase in the price of food. Added to that Israel Defense Forces has continued its daily incursions and bombardments to the Palestinians towns and villages, leaving people in fear that new attacks will occur soon.

Despite of the hospital meagre resources the hospital during the past ten months of 2009 was able to:
 *Treat more than 35,600 outpatients in the general medicine, surgery and rehabilitation services with an increase of 20 % on 2008
* Provide free basic medical care to seventy poor communities and provide comprehensive medical care to 4,550 deprived women, children and men.
*Continue to provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation services for hundreds of war injured and burnt children
*Treat completely free of charge more than 560 chronically ill poor women 

*Distribute food parcels for 600 families
*Run special programmes for 600 malnourished children for four months each.
*Screen 400 women for breast cancer, of which 7% were in need of further investigations.
*A new multilateral program of psychosocial support for women and children is based at Al Ahli Hospital, where local professionals have been trained to provide psychosocial support in a number of venues around Gaza. About 6,000 attendants most of them were women who benefited from these sessions.
*Running a special training programs for 25 new graduate and undergraduate personnel to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills  to have a better chances of gaining work in other health institutions.

In summary, the conflict of early 2009 is not forgotten. Throughout Gaza, the scars remain and the hardships, lack of resources, and restricted movements continue. But with encouragement and  solidarity of Amos and other supporters  Al Ahli Hospital endures and continues its much-needed ministry of compassionate care for all who seek its services.

The hospital has started to renovate the maternity and obstetric unit at the hospital, so that we will be able to provide impoverished pregnant women with the best pre and post natal care (including family planning) as well as safe maternal care. So please do support the development of both out and inpatient maternal services.

Once more thank you, hand in hand we will continue build peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land."