CV NEWS FEED // A prominent Catholic aid organization recently announced that it will be sending a new package of monetary aid and medical supplies to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to help Christians in the Holy Land afflicted by the conflict in Gaza.
On January 22 Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reported that between January and April of 2024 it will send $550,000 to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, “bringing the total amount of aid since the start of the fighting last October to nearly $770,000.”
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa stated to ACN, “Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Aid to the Church in Need for your ongoing collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and your support for our local communities in the Holy Land.”
ACN reported, “Of the total amount, $330,000 will go to the estimated 1,000 Christians remaining in Gaza. The rest of the funds will help Christian families in the West Bank and East Jerusalem who have been affected by the conflict in Gaza.”
The aid package “sparks fresh hope” for Christians in the Holy Land, and ACN added that the “package includes life-saving medicine, food coupons, and grants for school and university students, as well as housing costs.”
ACN Director of Projects Marco Mencaglia explained that the “effects of the war are felt all over the region, and Christians, who are a minority but still a significant community – with about 45,000 in the West Bank and 10,000 in East Jerusalem – are being affected very directly.”
Christians living in the Holy Land are suffering especially financially, because most of them “work in the tourism sector, and they have lost all sources of income since pilgrimages to the region have mostly been canceled,” ACN reported:
ACN will also support training programs to equip young Christians with new professional skills and offer them guidance in starting businesses…
Mencaglia explained the rationale behind ACN’s support for youth training programs: “Rather than give them money, we are helping to provide them with skills and the means to earn a living. This is much better in the long run, as it is what helps keep communities anchored in their homes and dissuades them from emigrating.”
Mencaglia said, “From the beginning of this war, we have told our partners on the ground in the Holy Land that we will not abandon them, either in terms of material help or in terms of spiritual aid, and we intend to fulfill that promise.”
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