Feature story
George Majaj, ACT Alliance regional representative in Middle East and North Africa, reported on the current—and urgent needs in Gaza.
What are the most urgent needs your partners are seeing on the ground right now?
Majaj: The situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Our partners report that people are facing severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and fuel. Famine conditions are deepening, with the prices of basic commodities skyrocketing beyond reach, 250 grams of coffee can cost more than 70 USD, a kilo of tomatoes 28 USD, and one liter of fuel over 50 USD. Families are forced to make impossible choices every day as they struggle for survival, and children are especially vulnerable due to malnutrition and the lack of adequate medical care. Shelter and protection remain urgent needs as many have lost their homes and are exposed to harsh conditions.
How is ACT responding?
Majaj: Through the ACT Palestine Forum, our members are providing emergency humanitarian support to those most affected. Despite the extreme challenges, our members are distributing food parcels, clean water, medical supplies, and hygiene kits. They are also offering psychosocial support to children and families living through unimaginable trauma. In parallel, ACT members are engaged in continuous advocacy, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and respect for human dignity. The ACT Palestine Forum remains a platform that coordinates these efforts, ensuring that local voices are amplified and that solidarity from the global ACT Alliance is felt in Gaza.
What can your ecumenical family pray for you as you continue to help so many people in need?
Majaj: For advocacy, we humbly ask the World Council of Churches and our wider ecumenical family to keep us in prayer as we continue to raise our voices for justice, peace, and human dignity. Every month, the ACT Palestine Forum organizes a prayer vigil for Palestine and Gaza, and we warmly invite you to join us. You can participate by preparing one of these vigils, sharing it publicly, and sending us photos or even a short video so that we can stand together in witness.
It is also a great encouragement when you share with us moments where Palestine and Gaza are lifted in your prayers, for example, the bishop who read aloud the names of children and others killed in Gaza for seven continuous hours. Such initiatives are powerful acts of witness. If you have similar actions, please let us know so we can share them and strengthen our common voice for justice and peace. This will also be a source of strength for Christian Palestinians, reminding them that they are not alone but are embraced by the solidarity and prayers of the global church.
