Palestinian residents in Gaza are facing severe food shortages. Here's a way to contribute to maintaining life-sustaining support for them.
The Sameer Project: A Beacon of Hope in Gaza
Amidst the ongoing 21-month military assault by Israel and a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Sameer Project, a donations-based rapid-response initiative led by Palestinians in the diaspora, is working tirelessly to supply essential aid to displaced Palestinians.
In its first year of fundraising, the Sameer Project raised more than $4.3 million, a testament to the global support for the cause. This generous donation has been instrumental in providing aid to tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
The project has proven to be one of the last lifelines for the displaced, supporting 53 team members, including nurses, doctors, teachers, cleaners, and project managers. These team members, in turn, support 53 families on the ground.
However, the Sameer Project is currently facing a significant challenge. Due to the dire situation in Gaza, they are unable to find sufficient amounts of food to keep community kitchens operational. Thousands of aid trucks are sitting at the border, denied permission to enter, while bombs and bullets continue to rain down on Gaza.
Despite these challenges, the Sameer Project has managed to distribute essential items such as diapers, shoes, toys, baby outfits, and formula packets to prevent hypothermia and ensure the basic needs of the most vulnerable are met. They have distributed 2,655 packs of diapers, 1,820 pairs of shoes, 3,000 toys, 500 baby outfits, and 2,129 formula packets.
Moreover, the Sameer Project has built the Refaat Alareer Camp, named after a Palestinian poet, activist, and university professor who was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike in December 2023. The camp, which holds an educational tent, a medical point, facilities for new and expecting mothers, and tent and toilet facilities for 50 families at any given time, is a sanctuary for many displaced individuals.
The camp also offers music classes, speech/physical therapy sessions, and VR-assisted trauma therapy to help the residents cope with their circumstances. The Sameer Project has provided medical care for thousands of patients and has even trained 242 people in first aid, hygiene, breastfeeding, and childcare.
With the money raised, the Sameer Project has provided 12.6 million liters of fresh drinking water, a life-sustaining essential due to the critical scarcity of potable water in the region.
However, the situation remains critical. The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini, has reported that more than 100 people, the vast majority of them children, have died of starvation in Gaza. The Sameer Project continues to provide water, tents, and medication, but this may not matter if people continue to drop in the streets.
The Sameer Project emphasizes that even small donations can make a difference. More than 50% of their donations have been under $10, demonstrating the collective power of individual contributions. If you wish to support the Sameer Project, visit their website to learn more about their work and make a donation.
- The Sameer Project, a literary campaign led by diaspora Palestinians, is raising funds for essential aid in the science field of health and wellness, focusing on providing for displaced Palestinians.
- In the realm of fitness and exercise, the Sameer Project's team members include specialists like teachers and cleaners who support 53 families on the ground in Gaza.
- Amidst a context of war and conflicts, the Sameer Project faces challenges obtaining food, resulting in idle aid trucks at the border while, in the political sphere, the crisis in Gaza continues.
- Despite these struggles, the Sameer Project ensures the basic needs of the vulnerable by distributing nutrition-related items such as diapers, formula packets, and baby outfits, preventing hypothermia.
- In addition to supplying fresh drinking water, the Sameer Project also offers education, medical care, and trauma recovery services as part of their crime-and-justice and general-news initiatives, ultimately aiming to provide hope and healing in Gaza.
