2023-11-11 18:21:39
The call for donations seems to be lower in the Israel-Gaza war than in the Ukraine war. There are reasons for that.
Aid supplies can hardly be brought to the Gaza Strip during the Israeli war. – keystone
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the essentials in brief
Switzerland donated around 418 million francs to Ukraine in 2022. Donating for the war in the Middle East is more complicated and difficult. The blockade of the Gaza Strip hardly makes it possible to deliver aid.
The world has been looking to the Middle East for five weeks. While Hamas brutally killed around 1,400 people in Israel on October 7th, thousands of people are now dying in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli bombing in the Israel War.
The suffering in the region is great, people are demanding and urgently need help.
Unlike last year, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the appeal for donations appears to be smaller this time. Or is that misleading?
Israel War: The people in the Gaza Strip urgently need help from outside. The destruction in Gaza is enormous and the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. However, people hardly receive any aid due to the blockade of the Gaza Strip. “In Ukraine, it was clear from day one how to help and where to donate,” says Swiss Solidarity when asked. “Humanitarian aid is blocked, so there is no certainty as to where and how quickly donations can be used.”
The war in Ukraine caused more consternation in this country than the bombings in Israel. Middle East expert Hans-Lukas Kieser explained this to Nau.ch in mid-October.
One reason for this is the perceived closeness. “Especially due to the millions of refugees who streamed into Central and Western Europe and needed concrete solidarity.”
But there is now also “a powerful Muslim counter-narrative” in the Israel war. She points the finger across the board at Israel and brings an “undifferentiated history of oppression to the fore.”
In order to compare the level of concern when it comes to donations, Nau.ch asked various places. And states: Donating was “easier” in the Ukraine war than in the Israel war.
“No certainty as to where and how quickly donations will be used”
The big difference between the two wars: “In Ukraine, it was clear from day one how to help and where to donate.” Swiss Solidarity explains this upon request.
Donations are more complicated during the Israel war. “Humanitarian aid is blocked, so there is no certainty as to where and how quickly donations can be used.” Therefore the process is longer.
It is up to the partner organizations to find a way. «The investigations into campaigns are ongoing. Now that border crossings, for example with Egypt, are slowly being opened again.
Members of an aid organization help load a train with Swiss relief supplies. (archive image) – keystone
Meanwhile, Swiss Solidarity has launched a solidarity campaign for those affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
And there are other reasons. “The context of the conflict in Israel/Palestine is much more complex than the situation in Ukraine.” This is what the relief organization of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland (HEKS) said upon request.
HEKS also mentions that humanitarian aid projects for Ukraine could be set up quite quickly and specifically. “The situation was clearer and the borders were not closed.”
Resources in the Israel war have been exhausted
No help could be provided in the war in the Middle East in the first two weeks due to the Gaza Strip blockade. “In addition, there are fewer (Swiss) NGOs active on site in Israel/Palestine than in Ukraine, which is why there were fewer calls for donations. But that can change in the medium and long term.”
As far as willingness to donate is concerned, it is still too early to make a general statement, explains Doctors Without Borders. “We also cannot say whether more will be donated to Israel or to the people in the Gaza Strip.” The organization does not currently run any medical programs in Israel.
Did you donate to the Ukraine war or the war in the Middle East?
The activities in the Gaza Strip are currently financed, among other things, from the emergency fund. Resources are running low or have already been exhausted. “Due to the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, we were also unable to replenish our supplies,” said Doctors Without Borders.
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Doctors Without BordersUkraine WarLucky ChainHamasIsrael WarWarDonations
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