LEICESTER, United Kingdom – Millions of people in the Middle East have fled their homes due to ongoing conflicts over the past year, and CAFOD and other charities in the UK are calling for help.

In Gaza, the United Nations backed IPC food security agency says more than 1.8 million Palestinians are experiencing “extremely critical” levels of hunger, claiming 70 percent of crop fields have been destroyed during the year-long Israeli military offensive.

Meanwhile, an estimated 450,000 people have fled the areas of hostilities in Lebanon, where Israel is battling Hezbollah.

“Our partners are continuing to respond urgently and they have been clear that, with more funds, they can do more to meet the desperate needs and provide essential items to their communities”, said Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s Country Program Representative in the Middle East. CAFOD is the international aid agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The Catholic agency says the latest figures show that over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 99,000 injured in Gaza.

CAFOD says it has joined with 14 other leading UK aid charities to launch the Disasters Emergency Committee Middle East Humanitarian appeal and raise funds to help those who are suffering.

“Gaza is on the brink of famine. 1 in 3 children below the age of 2 is already acutely malnourished. In Lebanon, the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in recent weeks is creating a humanitarian crisis,” CAFOD said in a statement.

“CAFOD has been working alongside communities in the region for many years. Our partners support local organizations on the ground, who are well known in the areas where they work.  Donations made to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal will go towards supporting families in the region, who are living with hunger and disease, as well as injuries caused by the conflict, in an intensely challenging context,” the statement continues.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was confirmed killed by Israel, and the United States said the incident should improve chances for a ceasefire in the region.

“Sinwar’s death also provides an extraordinary opportunity to achieve a lasting ceasefire, to end this awful war, and to rush humanitarian aid into Gaza,” said Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

“Clearly there are opportunities for a change in direction, and we would hope that parties would take advantage of that, both in Gaza and in Lebanon,” he told reporters.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s said the country would continue its efforts to destroy Hamas.

For its part, Hezbollah says the killing of Shinwar will cause a “new and escalating phase” in its fighting against Israel.

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