Canadians lend their efforts to help as Middle Eastern humanitarian crisis grows dire

Open this photo in gallery:

The conflict in the Middle East has galvanized Canadians into action with financial and material donations as calls grow for safe passage of aid and essential supplies into Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis is growing dire.

The United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Greater Toronto said it raised more than $50-million in five days, a response that spokesperson Steve McDonald said reflected the horror of the situation and the close connection that the Toronto Jewish community has to Israel.

“If you look at so many different metrics, whether it’s Hebrew literacy in our community, whether it’s travel to Israel, family connections to Israel, we are one of the most deeply connected Jewish communities in North America to Israel,” he said.

“The Toronto Community has exceptionally stepped up to show our support, not just in our words, and in our empathy and support for Israelis, but also in the support we’re offering in the form of humanitarian aid.”

Islamic Relief Canada, the country’s largest Muslim charity, launched a campaign over the weekend joining the calls for a humanitarian corridor in Gaza to deliver essential supplies as the situation on the ground grows more dire.

The Canadian arm of the organization has received more than $2.7-million in donations to its Palestine Emergency Appeal and is preparing to distribute medical supplies to hospitals and food to displaced families when able, chief executive Usama Khan said.

The UJA, in its first set of allocations, distributed $10-million to seven non-governmental organizations in Israel, supporting priority needs such as financial aid for victims; mental-health professionals to support residents; and protective equipment and emergency kits for medical and mental-health workers.

As well, Torontonians donated 42 tonnes of medical supplies and essentials such as first-aid kits, gauze, pain-relief medication, underwear and socks, which will be airlifted to Israel this week, Mr. McDonald said.

And, when the organization put out a call for mental-health professionals to support local community members grappling with these world events, 250 counsellors, psychologists and social workers stepped forward.

“People are donating their time, helping each other, taking care of each other, and doing what they can to help Israelis. That’s a really powerful thing,” Mr. McDonald said. “And so, while this has been a really terrible time, what we’ve seen is that the strength of the community has been tested, and we’re meeting that test in an exceptional way.”

Israel’s order of a “full siege” on Gaza has created a growing humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave, blocking access to food, fuel and other essential supplies.

Mr. Khan said all parties must uphold international humanitarian law and protect vulnerable civilians. “Humanitarian corridors are a means to ensure unhindered, unimpeded, safe access to all areas and to all civilians who are in need of aid and assistance,” he said in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail.

The Canadian Red Cross, whose primary partners in the region are the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and Israel’s Magen David Adom, is scaling up operations and readying asset deployment for when humanitarian operations are permitted.

Kelsey Lemon, vice-president of international operations at the Canadian Red Cross, said it is deeply frustrating that there is no way to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza, where it is so desperately needed.

“With this scale of humanitarian aid, we would normally have expected to have [a humanitarian corridor] set up by now,” she said.

Ms. Lemon conveyed the distress of counterparts with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, who said they “simply don’t see the feasibility” of evacuating hospitals and other health facilities in northern Gaza, per Israel’s order.

“They’ve received a direct order from [Israel Defence Forces] to evacuate their hospital and they’ve said, ‘We simply cannot. We don’t have enough ambulances. The roads are not clear. There are babies in incubators, people hooked up to all kinds of things in the ICU. And also there’s nowhere to take them; there’s no hospital in southern Gaza that can receive them,’” she said.

“The humanitarian situation is really life or death. The humanitarian workers and all people who live in northern Gaza are making this decision: Do I stay or go?”

The Canadian Red Cross has a roster of about 350 personnel to respond to emergencies and is preparing its emergency field hospital and stocks of non-food items such as tents, hygiene kits and cooking supplies.

The organization has raised about $1.4-million for its Middle East Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.