Tag Archives: Gaza

Daily Survival in Gaza Persists Post-Ceasefire: LIFE Continues Humanitarian Relief Amid Ongoing Needs

March 9, 2026 The Silo Leave a comment

Post-Ceasefire, Gaza Families Face Prolonged Hardship as LIFE Continues Delivering Life-Saving Humanitarian Aid

Despite the perception that ceasefires offer meaningful relief, conditions on the ground in Gaza demonstrate that humanitarian emergencies do not end when active conflict pauses. For civilians, the period following a ceasefire is often marked by continued displacement, damaged infrastructure, shortages of food and clean water, and limited access to essential services.

Life for Relief and Development (LIFE), a global humanitarian organization, has maintained an active presence throughout these periods, remaining one of the few international NGOs authorized to deliver aid inside Gaza. LIFE continues to respond to urgent, life-saving needs while navigating significant challenges.

Ceasefires Without Recovery

While ceasefires may reduce immediate violence, they do not restore stability. Families in Gaza frequently return to homes that are damaged or destroyed, seek refuge in overcrowded shelters, or reside in temporary tents without adequate protection. Water networks remain compromised, food availability is inconsistent, fuel shortages persist, and access restrictions continue to impede the flow of humanitarian aid.

Field reports from LIFE-supported operations indicate that displacement remains widespread, with families moving repeatedly in search of safety, food, and water. Even during ceasefires, civilians continue to face severe challenges, including:

Limited access to clean drinking water due to damaged infrastructure
Inconsistent food supplies and a lack of functional cooking facilities
Exposure to harsh weather conditions in makeshift shelters
Elevated public health risks stemming from overcrowding and poor sanitation

These conditions underscore the reality that a ceasefire does not equate to recovery or safety.

LIFE’s Ongoing Humanitarian Response in Gaza

Despite restricted access and operational risks, LIFE has sustained a multi-sector humanitarian response aimed at meeting immediate survival needs and preserving human dignity. Through coordinated interventions across North, Central, and South Gaza, LIFE-supported programs have provided:

Emergency food assistance through hot meals, family food packs, and large-scale food convoys
Clean drinking water via tanker deliveries and the rehabilitation of damaged municipal water wells
Emergency shelter materials, including tents and weather-resistant covers for displaced families
Winter relief, such as warm clothing and footwear for children and vulnerable individuals
Infant nutrition support to address critical shortages for families with young children

These interventions have reached hundreds of thousands of individuals across multiple phases of emergency response, including periods identified as ceasefires—during which needs remained acute.

Operating Under Constant Constraint

Providing aid in Gaza requires continuous adaptation. LIFE-supported teams have had to navigate border delays, limited fuel supplies, communication disruptions, and security-related restrictions. Daily adjustments ensure that relief reaches the most vulnerable populations, including displaced families, children, older adults, and households with no access to essential services.

By maintaining operations both during and after ceasefires, LIFE helps bridge the gap between temporary pauses in hostilities and the ongoing humanitarian needs that continue long after media attention subsides.

One beneficiary, Neama, a 38-year-old mother of four who has been displaced multiple times, described the uncertainty that continued beyond the ceasefire. Her family faced overcrowded shelters, a lack of cooking facilities, and severe food scarcity. Through LIFE-supported hot meal distributions, her family received freshly prepared meals over several days.

“The hot food meant more than nutrition,” she shared. “It restored dignity and gave my children a sense of normal life again, even in the middle of everything.”

Humanitarian Needs Beyond the Headlines

A ceasefire does not end the humanitarian crisis for families in Gaza. Many continue to face shortages of food, water, shelter, and basic services, with recovery dependent on sustained humanitarian support rather than temporary pauses in conflict.

“A ceasefire may pause active fighting, but it does not pause human need,” said Dr. Hany Saqr, CEO of Life for Relief and Development (LIFE). “Families in Gaza continue to experience daily challenges accessing food, water, shelter, and essential services. Our responsibility as a humanitarian organization is to remain present, impartial, and responsive, ensuring that assistance reaches civilians when they need it most, regardless of circumstances.”

For the Silo, Tasneem Elridi.

About Life for Relief and Development (LIFE)

Life for Relief and Development, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, is a global humanitarian relief and development organization committed to assisting individuals regardless of race, gender, religion, or cultural background. LIFE is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and holds Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Philanthropy

LIFE for Relief and Development in Its 33rd Ramadan: A Call for Unified Humanitarian Efforts to Confront Famine in The Developing World

February 11, 2026 The Silo Leave a comment

As the blessed month of Ramadan approaches—bringing with it the values of mercy and solidarity—this year arrives amid a profoundly harsh humanitarian reality across vast regions of the Arab world.

Among the scattered tents of displacement that have become refuge for the uprooted, and in homes reduced to rubble—leaving behind only ruins, grief, and the names of the missing—some fasting individuals will observe Ramadan at meager tables, continuing their daily struggle to secure the simplest iftar meal after long hours of fasting. Others will fast without knowing how they will obtain their next meal.

Millions of Meals and Thousands of Beneficiaries

Humanitarian initiatives multiply each year, yet their impact varies. Some alleviate hardship, while others fall short of addressing the depth and complexity of ongoing crises.

For 33 years, LIFE for Relief and Development has mobilized its efforts to fulfill its humanitarian mission during the holy month of Ramadan by implementing relief programs focused on meeting the basic needs of the poorest and most vulnerable families. Through the distribution of food parcels and the organization of communal and individual iftar meals, LIFE’s assistance reaches hundreds of thousands of families in need worldwide.

LIFE teams were present in 37 of the 60 countries where the organization operates sustainable development and relief projects. During Ramadan 2025, nearly 6 million meals were distributed through 16,000 nutritionally balanced food baskets. Additionally, 51,000 freshly prepared hot meals were provided, benefiting approximately 97,000 fasting individuals in need.

Gaza: A Communal Iftar Amid the Rubble

Gaza stood at the forefront of LIFE’s efforts. Amid the devastating landscape and the remnants of war, displaced families recall memories of past Ramadans—when loved ones gathered around one table and smiles preceded the meal. Though those scenes now seem distant, LIFE continues to revive the spirit of solidarity, instilling a glimmer of mercy and hope in hearts exhausted by crisis.

LIFE worked to provide food security for 2,883 families—sufficient to sustain them for three months—alongside organizing communal iftar gatherings open to anyone in need. Despite being held atop the rubble, these gatherings brought moments of joy to attendees.

In addition, Eid celebrations were organized for orphans, benefiting 7,660 orphaned families, including 1,200 families at a special Gaza orphan event. Iftar and suhoor meals were also distributed at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Confronting Famine in Sudan

From Sudan, we spoke with Ms. Rima Bakir, LIFE’s Projects Coordinator in Sudan, who described the scale of suffering:

“Ramadan will arrive for many children in Sudan not with joy, but with hunger and deprivation. They will welcome the month with empty stomachs, fear, exhaustion, and severe food shortages.

Pregnant and nursing women suffer from malnutrition and increasing health risks, while widows bear a doubled burden in securing food for their children after losing the family breadwinner amid rising living costs. They are living through daily hardship and a continuous struggle for survival.

Over the past year, we tracked displaced families in Kassala, where we provided suhoor and iftar meals to 845 families affected by the war. We also distributed nutritionally integrated food baskets weighing approximately 30 kilograms to support children’s healthy growth, in addition to providing clothing for orphans.”

Targeting the Poorest and Most Remote Communities

Regarding this year’s anticipated activities, Omar Mamdouh, Director of Projects, stated:

“We will intensify our teams’ efforts in the poorest areas facing potential famine, according to United Nations reports. We plan to support vulnerable families and displaced populations in crisis zones by strengthening social solidarity and spreading joy through food assistance projects, organizing iftar gatherings, and distributing hot meals and food baskets in remote areas often beyond the reach of charitable organizations.

Before Eid, we will also implement orphan sponsorship initiatives by providing Eid clothing, gifts, and financial and food assistance. We will distribute zakat and charitable donations to the most deserving beneficiaries, in addition to facilitating fidya and kaffarah contributions.”

Ranked Third Among the Best Organizations Fighting Poverty and Hunger

Vicky Robb, Director of International Programs, added:

“We will expand our food assistance projects in developing countries, particularly in displacement camps where children are suffering—such as those along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in war-affected regions of Sudan and parts of Africa, and in countries facing silent poverty in Southeast Asia.

LIFE distinguishes itself by strategically targeting areas inaccessible to most relief organizations—whether due to the severity of war, as currently in Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon. Our teams have delivered Ramadan meals and food baskets on foot. In Bangladesh, they navigated deadly floods by boat to reach the hungry. In Afghanistan, despite mud and extremely difficult terrain, food was transported on horseback. In Tanzania, our teams left their own families for days to reach remote communities where hunger persists and infants cry silently from malnutrition. They relied on multiple forms of transportation to ensure aid reached beneficiaries before the start of the holy month.”

For the Silo, Tasneem El-Ridi.

For more information:
http://bit.ly/4rUIsqa
https://linktr.ee/LIFEUSA.ar

Philanthropy

Life For Relief And Development Ranks Third Globally Among Humanitarian Orgs

December 13, 2025 The Silo 1 Comment

According to Charity Navigator 2025

Amid escalating crises in the Middle East and the developing world, Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) has been recognized as the third-best global humanitarian organization by Charity Navigator. The organization also secured fifth place for its humanitarian work in Palestine, and fifth place worldwide in the fight against poverty. These achievements earned LIFE a 100% rating, an endorsement from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as recognition by Impactful Ninja as one of the top humanitarian organizations in North America. LIFE was further honored with the Humanitarian Partnership Award for its collaborative initiatives.

Sustainable Programs and Comprehensive Seasonal Projects

Vicki Roob, Administrative Director at LIFE, explained that the organization was founded more than 33 years ago in the United States and works across more than 60 countries through 14 international offices.

Over the years, LIFE has distributed more than $624 million usd/ $859 million cad in humanitarian aid, supporting programs in food security, clean water, temporary shelter, healthcare, education, community development, family assistance, refugee support, and emergency relief during wars and natural disasters. Currently, the organization supports more than 13,100 orphans worldwide, providing essential care, nutrition, housing, and education, while also organizing annual Global Orphan Festivals filled with games, gifts, and entertainment to ensure children feel valued and supported.

Tent Camps That Saved Thousands of Lives in Conflict Zones

According to Dr. Abdulwahab Alawneh, Regional Director for Jordan and Palestine, LIFE implemented its “LIFE Organized Camps” project in Gaza, establishing nine camps across the north, center, and south of the Strip. Built with fire-resistant and durable materials, these camps provided shelter for 46,000 displaced people, featuring easily dismantled tents to accommodate recurring displacement. Each tent was equipped with bedding and essentials, alongside medical facilities, solar panels serving 7,000 individuals, and protective insulation for 3,000 residents against extreme weather. Clay ovens benefited 3,500 people, while 23 sanitation units were constructed.so LIFE Assisted 1.3 million Displaced People in general in GAZA.

Adding: “we’ve been proactively preparing to facilitate the delivery of urgent relief—shelter, food, water, medicine, and personal necessities—into Gaza. Our team on the ground has already begun implementing LIFE’s ninth camp project after tents arrived and installation began. We are now working to shelter 15,000 newly displaced families still exposed to the cold as winter approaches.

These are waterproof, cold- and humidity-resistant tents that also provide insulation against heat in summer. Made from PVC material, they have protected more than 29,000 families from fires during nighttime bombings in past years.

Using all borders to Gaza

We faced tough challenges but managed them through our extensive experience. We are not newcomers to Gaza’s relief field. We worked through approval requirements for specific items—like tent specifications—while some organizations struggled to get their tents through the crossings. Tents vary in size and function: family tents, medical point tents, hospital tents, and educational tents.

We are now awaiting approval for mobile housing units. However, shelter items like mattresses and blankets have been entering through Egypt on LIFE’s trucks without obstacles, while food parcels are transported through Jordan.

“For food items previously restricted for NGOs, we purchase them at discounted rates from local traders and distribute them to those most in need. We spared no effort to reach them—using animals or walking long distances on foot when necessary.

We also supply water—each truck carries 15,000 liters per camp, enough for 500 families for a week—alongside baby formula, infant supplies, medical kits, and medicines. We ensure field monitoring of activities, including eight camps already constructed, and we share updates regularly on social media in multiple languages.”

Emergency Relief and Orphan Care at the Forefront

In the past year alone, LIFE allocated approximately $1.1 million usd/ $1.51 million cad in emergency relief to families displaced by conflicts and natural disasters, including earthquake survivors in Afghanistan, Morocco, Nepal, Syria, and Turkey; war-displaced populations in Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon; wildfire victims in Bangladesh; flood-affected communities in Afghanistan and Libya; and cyclone-hit regions in Myanmar.

Additionally, $6.4 million usd/ $8.81 million cad was invested in healthcare programs and medical supplies, $4.5 million usd/ $6.2 million cad in educational projects, and $2.1 million usd/ $2.89 million cad in in-kind aid shipments. Orphan support remained a priority, with more than $3.8 million usd/ $5.23 million cad dedicated to orphan sponsorship, education, and healthcare.

Seasonal projects also played a significant role: nearly $1.7 million usd/ $2.34 million cad was spent on Ramadan and Eid initiatives, with more than 11 million meals distributed across 36 countries during Ramadan alone. Over 272,620 individuals in 38 countries benefited from Qurbani (sacrifice) distributions. LIFE also allocated $1.4 million usd/ $1.93 million cad toward emergency food relief and constructed 122 water wells worldwide.

For the Silo, Tasneem Elridi.

Politics

Arab Public Opinion Poll About Israeli War On Gaza

January 15, 2024 The Silo 2 Comments

Doha, January 2024 // The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies announced the results of their public opinion poll regarding the Israeli war on Gaza on Wednesday 10 January 2024. The poll was carried out on a sample of 8000 respondents (men and women) from 16 Arab countries. The survey questions were selected to determine the opinions of citizens in the Arab region on important topics related to the Israeli war on Gaza.

The results of the survey demonstrate the locality of the war as felt by Arab public opinion, with 97% of respondents expressing psychological stress (to varying degrees) as a result of the war on Gaza. 84% expressed a sense of great psychological stress.

Extent of psychological stress felt during the war on Gaza

About 80% of respondents reported that they regularly follow news of the war, compared to 7% who said that they do not follow it, a further indication that the Arab public sees this war as a local event. To access the news 54% of respondents relied on television, compared to 43% who relied on the internet.

Extent of news followship about Israel’s war on Gaza

It is noteworthy that the results highlighted that Arab public opinion does not believe that the military operation carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023 was in pursuit of a foreign agenda. 35% of respondents considered that the most important reason for the operation was the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, while 24% attributed it mostly to defence against Israel’s targeting of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and 8% saw it as a result of the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.

The most important motivations for Hamas to carry out the military operation on 7 October 2023

	Most important	Second most important
The ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land	35	13
Defending al-Aqsa Mosque against attacks	24	21
The ongoing blockade of Gaza	8	12
Ongoing and expanding settlement on Palestinian land	6	8
Liberating Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons	6	13
Israel’s rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state	4	5
The United States’ failure to achieve a just peace	2	3
The international community’s disregard for Palestinian rights and the ongoing occupation	4	5
Halting the normalization process between Arab governments and Israel	2	3
Carrying out the plan or agenda of a foreign power such as Iran	2	2
Other	2	1
Don’t know / Declined to answer	5	0
No second option	0	14
Total	100	100

While 67% of respondents reported that the military operation carried out by Hamas was a legitimate resistance operation, 19% reported that it was a somewhat flawed but legitimate resistance operation, and 3% said that it was a legitimate resistance operation that involved heinous or criminal acts, while 5% said it was an illegitimate operation.

Assessments of Hamas’ military operation on 7 October 2023

The results showed that there is an Arab consensus of 92% expressing solidarity with the citizens of the Arab region with the Palestinian people in Gaza. While 69% of respondents expressed their solidarity with Palestinians and support for Hamas, 23% expressed solidarity with Palestinians despite opposing Hamas, and 1% expressed a lack of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Solidarity with Palestinians and support for Hamas

The majority of respondents rejected comparisons between Hamas and ISIS made by predominately Israeli and Western politicians and media personalities.

Comparisons between Hamas and ISIS

When asked about the responses of regional and international powers to Israel’s war on Gaza, 94% considered the US position negatively, with 82% considering it very bad. In the same context, 79%, 78%, and 75% of respondents viewed positions of France, the UK, and Germany negatively. Opinion was split over the positions of Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China. While (48%, 47%, 41%, 40%, respectively) considered them positively (37%, 40%, 42%, 38%, respectively).

Evaluation of international and regional positions

In the same context, 76% of respondents reported that their position toward the United States following the Israeli war on Gaza had become more negative, indicating that the Arab public has lost confidence in the US. Furthermore, respondents demonstrated a near consensus (81%) in their belief that the US government is not serious about working to establish a Palestinian state in the 1967 occupied territories (The West Bank, Jerusalem, and Gaza).

About 77% of respondents named the United States and Israel as the biggest threat to the security and stability of the region. While 51% saw the United States as the most threatening, 26% considered the biggest threat to be Israel. While 82% of respondents reported that US media coverage of the war was biased towards Israel, only 7% saw it as neutral.

How opinion on US policy in the Arab region has changed since the war on Gaza

Evaluation of US seriousness in establishing a Palestinian state in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian lands

Biggest threats to the peace and stability of the region

	Greatest Threat				Second Greatest Threat
	Gaza war	2022	2020	2018	Gaza War	2022	2020	2018
United States	51	39	44	43	25	25	23	28
Israel	26	41	37	37	33	28	38	40
Iran	7	7	10	13	10	13	19	15
Russia	4	6	2	3	8	8	4	7
France	2	2	2	1	10	5	3	1
Turkey	2	2	2	1	3	2	5	2
China	1	2	1	0	2	2	2	0
Other	1	—	—	—	2	—	—	—
Don’t know / Declined to answer	6	1	2	2	0	—	—	—
No second option	0	—	—	—	7	17	6	7
Aggregate	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

Evaluation of US media coverage of the war on Gaza

Arab public opinion sees the Palestinian Cause as an Arab issue, and not exclusively a Palestinian issue. A consensus of 92% believe that the Palestinian question concerns all Arabs and not just the Palestinians. On the other hand, 6% said that it concerns the Palestinians alone and they alone must work to solve it. It is worth noting that this percentage is the highest recorded since polling began in 2011, rising from 76% at the end of 2022, to 92% this year. Some countries recorded significant increases. In Morocco, it rose from 59% in 2022 to 95%, in Egypt from 75% to 94%, in Sudan from 68% to 91%, and in Saudi Arabia from 69% to 95%, a statistically significant increase that represents a fundamental shift in the opinions of the citizens of these countries.

Consideration of the Palestinian Cause as an Arab issue over time

Arab public opinion is almost unanimous in rejecting recognition of Israel, at a rate of 89%, up from 84% in 2022, compared to only 4% who support its recognition. Of particular note is the increase in the percentage of those who rejected recognition of Israel in Saudi Arabia from 38% in the 2022 poll to 68% in this survey. Such a statistically significant increase also applies to other countries such as Morocco, where the percentage rose from 67% to 78%, and Sudan, where it increased from 72% to 81%.

Support/opposition for recognizing Israel over time

When asked about their opinions on what measures Arab governments should take in order to stop the war in Gaza, 36% of respondents stated that Arab governments should suspend all relations or normalization processes with Israel, while 14% of them stated that aid and support should be brought into Gaza without Israeli approval, and 11% said that the Arab governments should use oil as a weapon to assert pressure on Israel and its supporters.

Measures that should be taken by Arab governments to stop the war on Gaza

	Most important measure	Second most important measure
Suspend relations or normalization with Israel	36	15
Deliver aid to Gaza without Israeli approval	14	16
Use the oil weapon to pressure Israel and its supporters	11	13
Establish a global alliance to boycott Israel	9	11
Provide military aid to Gaza	8	10
Announce military mobilization	5	6
Reconsider relations with the United States	4	6
Reconsider relations with states that support Israel’s war on Gaza	3	5
Build alliances with states that have taken practical steps against Israel	3	4
Other	3	2
Don’t know / Declined to answer	4	0
No second option	0	12
Total	100	100

There is a near consensus among Palestinian respondents from the West Bank (including Jerusalem), around 95%, that safety and freedom of movement between the governorates and cities of the West Bank and their sense of security and personal safety have been affected negatively since 7 October 2023.

Negative effects experienced in the West Bank since 7 October 2023

A further 60% of Palestinian respondents in the West Bank said that they had been subjected to or were witnesses to raids by the occupation army forces, while 44% said that they were subjected to arrest or interrogation by the Israeli army, and 22% reported that they were subjected to harassment by settlers.

Frequency of witnessing or happening upon incidences of raids, arrests, or settler harassment in the West Bank since 7 October 2023

This survey is the first of its kind to gauge public opinion on the topic across the Arab region. The field work was conducted from 12 December 2023 to 5 January 2024 in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and the West Bank, Palestine (including Jerusalem). The surveyed communities represent 95% of the population of the Arab region and its far-flung regions. The sample in each of the aforementioned communities was 500 men and women, drawn according to cluster and self-weighted sampling methods to ensure that every individual in each country had an equal probability of appearing in the sample.

For the Silo, Dr Ahmed Hussein, researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

Earth

Disaster Themed Comedy Not Funny

July 8, 2010 The Silo Leave a comment

Dear Silo, I’m tired of jokes about the oil spill. Leno. Letterman. On June 1^st 2010 John Stewart dedicated the entire “fake news” portion of his show to jokes about the spill. It’s true that much of the humour contained social and political commentary. But it wasn’t “funny.” Still, Stewart and his audience were killing themselves. Appropriate, I guess, since this issue highlights how we are all killing ourselves.

On the other hand, I like that his whole show was about this. Why is anyone talking about anything else? I know, life continues (for now). The World Cup is on. The Canadian auto sector is rebounding (perfect). Activists are crashing the Gaza blockade.

But you know what, I don’t care. Why aren’t we all parking our cars until we can convert them to run on biodiesel or excrement? Why are we watching Glee or driving to Dairy Queen or making love? Why are we not all in the streets in sackcloth and ashes, of one accord?

The world’s experts aren’t able to fix this leak, proving, as an acquaintance of mine pointed out, that there actually are no experts on how to fix deep sea oil leaks. They just know how to pump oil. And we all seem content to let them keep pumping oil for us. We shake our heads at the television footage and point fingers at negligent corporations and politicians, and then go back to pumping gas. Pumping hands. Making business deals. Making love.

In Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut proposes that at the end of the world, when the planet is truly and fully dead, the few surviving mammals will lose their sex drive. No drive to reproduce (what for?), to survive. No drive. Now that’s funny. Alan Dowber.