Cc: Executive Committee

Area Executives

International Secretaries

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Further to my previous communication with you on the situation in the Middle East and the update from Gaza YMCA, I am pleased to send you now an urgent appeal for an amount of USD134'000 (of which USD15'500 has already been pledged) to support the relief work of Gaza YMCA. The appeal was sent last Friday to International YMCA Partners and does not include the latest developments in Gaza: that of the unilateral cease-fire declared by Israel last Saturday and then followed by Hamas yesterday.

The humanitarian situation remains critical. People are now starting to come to terms with the loss of life and the extent of the destruction to their homes and livelihoods. The need for food and other basic supplies remains high and so is the need to provide psychosocial support to the children who have been traumatised by the violence.

Attached is the emergency proposal sent out last Friday to International YMCA Partners and which is now being sent to you for your kind consideration. We are in close contact with the Gaza YMCA and will be updating you on their work in the next few days.

Let us continue to pray for peace in the Middle East.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes,

Bart Shaha