Israel-Hamas conflict: Here are some of the aid groups working amid crisis

Fears of a devastating humanitarian crisis in the Middle East are growing after an unprecedented multi-pronged attack on Israel by militant group Hamas over the weekend.

Israel has since retaliated with a series of airstrikes on Gaza and by cutting off supplies to the territory of food, fuel, medicines and other goods.

Aid groups are scrambling to assist civilians caught in violence that has killed more than 1,800 people and injured thousands of others on both sides.

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As the fighting rages on, several international aid groups are working around the clock to help those in urgent need.

Relief efforts have been complicated by the ongoing fighting and an intensified blockade of Gaza, aid groups say. For Canadians looking for ways to help, here are some high-profile, long-operating and reputable organizations that have teams working to assist.

More than 2.4 million people in the region are in need of humanitarian assistance — with half of those children, according to the registered charity Save the Children.

The charity said it is releasing funds so its teams in the region have the resources required to respond to children’s “most pressing needs.”

“If violence escalates further, Palestinian and Israeli children’s lives and wellbeing will be at continued risk,” the group said in an appeal for funds.

“With every airstrike and rocket, children’s sense of security is ripped away, with dire consequences for their long-term wellbeing.”

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Save the Children is appealing for donations to its emergency fund, saying its teams are “bracing for what comes next” after violence escalated over the weekend.

“All parties must show restraint and focus on keeping children and families safe and bringing an end to the fear and suffering they have endured for far too long,” said Jason Lee, Save the Children’s country director for the occupied Palestinian territory, in a statement. 

A US$50 donation can provide 10 warm, cozy blankets to children affected by conflict, whereas US$100 helps supply a month’s worth of nutritious food to a family in crisis, Save the Children said.

Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is an independent and impartial humanitarian organization that has been operating for decades around the world.

The organization said it is donating medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities in Gaza.

MSF does not run medical programs in Israel, which it said has “strong emergency and health services.”

“Hospitals are overcrowded with injured people, there is a shortage of drugs and consumables and a shortage of fuel for generators,” said Ayman Al-Djaroucha, MSF deputy coordinator in Gaza, in a statement from Sunday on its website.

MSF said among the challenges facing its staff is a lack of safe ways to transfer patients to the health facilities.

You can give a monthly or one-time donation on is website, doctorswithoutborders.org.

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The International Committee of the Red Cross is also calling for urgent donations to help people in Israel and the occupied territories.

The charity has been present in the region since 1967.

ICRC also operates as the Red Crescent.

“We also help improve access to essential services like water and electricity in Gaza and support livelihood projects throughout the occupied territories,” the aid group states on its website.

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The Alliance for Middle East Peace is a coalition comprised of Palestinian and Israeli organizations advocating for peace in the region. It has more than 170 members.

ALLMEP said its goal is to see a “Middle East in which its community of Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders lead their societies toward and beyond a sustainable peace.”

The surprise Hamas attack on Saturday has shaken the Middle East and ignited fears of a bigger regional escalation. Roughly 1,000 Israelis have died after the Hamas attack, Israeli embassy officials in the United States said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

In Gaza and the West Bank, roughly 765 people have been killed, according to authorities there.

For Canadians looking to make sure their donations are going to a legitimate, registered charity, the Canada Revenue Agency has a searchable database online.

Canadians can view a charity’s contact information, general activities, and financial information, if they are unsure about where their money is going.

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— with files from The Associated Press