365 days, 40,000 lives, one hope: Peace

You can see another version of our article on Tui Motu

One year of conflict

October 7 marks one year since the devastating conflict in the Holy Land began. The atrocities committed that day were abhorrent and unacceptable, taking more than one thousand lives and plunging the region into chaos. In the ensuing twelve months we have seen some of the worst of humanity – but also humanity at its best, as aid workers risked their lives to help those in need, and people around the world stood in solidarity for peace and justice.

In one year, the ongoing assault on Gaza has claimed approximately 40,000 lives and permanently changed hundreds of thousands more. The statistics that have come out of this awful conflict are staggering and can be difficult to put into perspective. The Gaza Strip, smaller in area than Waiheke Island, is home to more people than the combined population of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. In the past twelve months, the Israeli Defence Force has dropped more than 75,000 tonnes of bombs into this area, creating more than 100kg of rubble per square metre in the territory. This scale and intensity of devastation is difficult to imagine.

The level of destruction in Gaza has been difficult to fathom

The internet and social media have brought home the harrowing realities of the conflict to people around the world. Both victims and perpetrators have livestreamed and shared atrocities as they happen, and millions of people have directly watched the conflict play out from a ground-level perspective – drawing parallels to the television coverage that brought the Vietnam War into living rooms around the world fifty years ago. While some public figures have used this public focus as a political issue to drive people apart, countless ordinary people have been moved to stand up for peace and justice through protest, prayer, and donation.

Thousands of aid workers from within the Holy Land and around the world have worked tirelessly, and at great personal danger, to bring relief to the civilians in the firing line. Tragically more than 270 aid workers have so far been killed in the conflict, alongside 134 journalists and media workers and around 500 medical workers. It is already the deadliest conflict for journalists in the 21st century, and the deadliest ever for UN workers.

The conflict on a human level

Alarming statistics grab headlines and can easily dominate discussion. However, it is important we do not let numbers distract us from the innate human dignity of every person, and the story of every family. People on the ground in Gaza are not living as statistics, waiting to cross into the fatalities column of a spreadsheet. They are living every day as parents, siblings, children and friends, and we owe it to them to think of them as such.

It can be distressing and humbling to think about the conflict on such a human level. The pain of someone who is the last surviving member of their family; the terror of a parent who can do nothing to protect their children every time they hear a plane overhead; the confusion of a child whose whole world has been reduced to rubble. Every person’s story is different, but each is important.

It is in the personal stories we also find cause for hope. George, who leads one of our partner organisations on the ground, relocated to the Holy Family Parish with his wife and children. “We are in Jesus’ house, we are in his hands,” he says, “We choose life, despite being surrounded by death.” Despite the loss of their home, the family maintains their love for God and one another. “We strive hard to provide our children with safety and protection,” he says. “All we have is to tell them that we love them above all else.” Faith has provided a source of hope in the darkness. “For the first time in our history, we are making the communion bread in Gaza with our own hands,” George shares. “We are determined to preserve the Christian presence in Palestine. This is our homeland.”

Although many of us in New Zealand feel helpless in the face of a distant conflict, there is something powerful in recognising and witnessing the humanity, bravery and determination of others. Through prayer, vigil, or whatever means are appropriate for us, we can show them they are not ignored, not forgotten, and not just a news item or statistic.

In the words of a Palestinian doctor, who has since been killed, “We did what we could. Remember us.”

We are extremely proud of the difference our partners have made.

All the difference in the world

Alongside solidarity, we have the ability to make a material difference in the lives of those in need. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has been supporting our partners on the ground who have set up temporary medical centres to treat almost 11,000 people, provided cash assistance to more than 20,000 people, and psychosocial support to over 500 children, caregivers and staff.

Compared to the millions of civilians in Gaza, these numbers may seem small – but when we remember the innate importance of every human life, they become monumental. Medical treatment, which can be difficult to access, allows hurt bodies to recover from past injuries. Cash assistance lets parents put clothes and shoes on their children in the winter. Counselling helps scared children have hope for tomorrow. In each person’s life, this is an enormous difference.

Our global efforts add up, as well. In the past year, the Caritas Internationalis network has provided medicine, food, shelter, counselling and cash assistance to more than 150,000 people. This is something to be proud of, but we cannot afford to be complacent. As the conflict approaches the one-year mark, things are in danger of escalating in the West Bank and Lebanon. Hundreds of people have been killed in both of these regions already in the past year, but the threat of all-out war would be cataclysmic.

The threat of wider conflict

In the past weeks the situation in Lebanon has attracted global attention. Adding another front to this conflict will only spread the misery and destruction further, and we must do everything in our power to prevent this front from escalating, while also not losing sight of the plight of Gaza.

We know exactly what needs to happen to bring an end to all this unnecessary suffering. An end to escalation in Lebanon, an end to violence in the West Bank, and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that will allow all necessary humanitarian aid to reach those in desperate need.

We cannot make these changes on our own, but together we have a powerful collective voice. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has spoken out over the past year alongside Caritas Canada and Australia, New Zealand’s Council for International Development, and the New Zealand Catholic Education Office. We have contacted Cabinet Ministers and government officials in New Zealand and abroad. We have kept our supporters informed and listened to what they had to say. Being a voice for the voiceless, calling out injustice, and speaking up for peace are something we can all do.