January 1, 2009 - The death toll in Gaza surpassed 400 people today, as Israeli warplanes continued to inflict horrific suffering on a people already facing "a crisis of human dignity," according to the United Nations.

"In little more than a day, as many people had been killed as in the worst year of the first Intifada," said UPA's Samer Badawi. "The difference this time is that the people of Gaza have virtually zero resources to cope."

On the morning of December 27, Israeli warplanes unleashed what the Associated Press called "unprecedented waves of airstrikes" on Gaza. At least 225 people were killed, including women and children, with more reportedly buried beneath the rubble of targeted buildings.

Gaza's children are the hardest hit. (Photo: Hatem Omar/MaanImages)

"We are depending on you on the outside to tell the world what is happening," said Dr. Hamdi Khalouf, a volunteer physician who saw some of the most gruesome effects of the day's aerial bombardment of northern Gaza. UPA spoke by phone with Dr. Khalouf just hours after the attacks as he detailed the unfolding human tragedy at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there are shortages of virtually all emergency room stocks -- from gauze to syringes to antibiotics.

The attacks come as Gaza's healthcare system struggles to survive Israel's near-total blockade over the last 18 months. "It was already the worst [man-made] humanitarian crisis in the world," said Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. "Now it is a massacre."

UPA is working to support several teams of health professionals we are helping train and equip in northern Gaza, where the damage is among the heaviest. We are also trying to identify other ways to help and will post an update soon.

Please help us respond by making a donation online today.

See the need. In Gaza's enforced darkness, young minds keep hope alive by candlelight. More than a million people have only intermittent access to safe drinking water. Human waste goes untreated in dilapidated, powerless sewage plants. And nurses and physicians, overworked and unpaid, will stand round-the-clock over a patient to simulate the work of a respirator gone dead.

Some of the destruction in Rafah refugee camp in Gaza, January 1st, 2009. (Photo: Hatem Omar/MaanImages)

Dare to care. We know from experience that there is a quiet—but far from complacent—majority that sees this kind of suffering for what it is: unjust, unacceptable, and unsustainable. When pundits and politicians dismiss the human tragedy in Gaza as just so much propaganda, we get a modest check from one of our contributors, sometimes with a note attached: "Freedom for Palestine," or "Please send to Gaza." We take your trust in us very seriously, which is why we make sure that your contributions do make it to Gaza while complying fully with U.S. regulations. If you have any questions or concerns about giving to Gaza, we're here to help. Please email or call us anytime.

Act now. From funding the vital work of healthcare professionals to corresponding with a disabled child, to hosting a fundraising event in your community, there is so much you can do to ease the suffering in Gaza. Buying time is not one of them.

Here's how you can help:

One of three children from a single family killed during an Israeli missile attack on Rafah, 29 December 2008. (Photo: Hatem Omar/MaanImages)

Sustain lives in this hour of need.

With the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, we have delivered more than 18 tons of food aid to Gaza in the last six months. Our partnership with UNRWA remains strong, and we are turning to you to help us continue to support the agency's emergency food distribution efforts. Help us feed a hungry family today.

Invest in vital healthcare services.

Most of Gaza's health crisis owes to one harsh reality: lack of access to professional medical services. That's why we're working with the internationally respected Palestinian Medical Relief Society to fund two mobile clinics that serve tens of thousands of Gaza's most vulnerable. Already operational, the clinics need more funds to restock basic pharmaceuticals, purchase fuel, and support physicians who have gone without pay for months. Your contribution can help us make an immediate, positive impact on the medical crisis in Gaza.

Connect with a Palestinian child today.

In Gaza, where virtually all contact with the outside world has been cut off, a letter from a sponsor can mean as much as the modest monthly commitments our supporters make to the Child Sponsorship Program. Join hundreds of UPA Child Sponsors, and connect with a Palestinian child in need today. Your support helps provide clothing, food, school supplies—and, most of all, hope—to a new generation of Palestinians. You can also make a one-time donation to help sustain this program.

Please help us provide emergency relief to the people of Gaza.