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Home > Get Involved > Seek Justice > Peace in the Holy Land

Seeking Peace in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza



One of the world's longest-running conflicts has raged in the Holy Land for nearly 60 years. Since the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948, Israelis and Palestinians have been locked in a violent struggle for justice and security.

As in any conflict, children—all children—suffer the most.


World Vision's goal is to create an environment where peace can exist and children can thrive.

World Vision in the Middle East


World Vision has worked in the Middle East—including Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza —for 31 years.

World Vision is a nonpolitical humanitarian organization whose first priority is for the care and well-being of children no matter religion, race, ethnicity or gender. In a region filled with political and social tension, World Vision's goal is to create an environment where children can thrive, reach their full potential and a "generation transformed" can build lasting peace.

World Vision provides humanitarian and development assistance to impoverished children and families to help meet basic needs such as:
  • Food and water (including agricultural production)
  • Medical services
  • Education
  • Jobs training
  • Psycho-social counseling
In addition to our ongoing development work in the region, World Vision has partnered with "Parents Circle-Families Forum," which is comprised of both Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families who advocate for peace.

Poverty in the Region

The political tensions of the region have contributed to great economic loss and hardship, with poverty rates highest among Palestinians.


Of the 1.4 million people living in Gaza, about 60 percent of them are children.
According to latest polls, 81 percent of families in Gaza live beneath the poverty line of $2.70 per day and the unemployment rate is an alarmingly high 40 percent. According to the UN, 70 percent of people in Gaza are dependent on food aid. Some 59 percent of the population in the West Bank live below the poverty line.

One in three children in the Gaza Strip suffers from malnutrition, which can stunt long-term physical and mental development. Inadequate water supplies and unequal distribution of water resources are a serious problem.

What You Can Do

  • Pray for a peaceful resolution to the long-standing crisis; pray especially for safety and protection for the most vulnerable, the children in Gaza, West Bank and Israel.
  • Sponsor a child in the Middle East. World Vision sponsorship helps children and their communities rebuild their lives from the ashes of conflict and natural disaster.

Who Is World Vision?

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.


What You Can Do
Pray for a quick, peaceful resolution to the long-standing crisis in the Middle East; pray especially for safety and protection for the most vulnerable, the children in Gaza and Israel.
--
Sponsor a child in the Middle East.

Walking with the Prince of Peace, in Present-Day Bethlehem
World Vision Magazine

Good Guys and Bad Guys?
World Vision Magazine

World Vision in the Mid-East
Frequently Asked Questions

West Bank Checkpoints (listen online)

Life in Gaza a Nightmare (listen online)

The History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
BBC News

World Vision Report
Who Will Wipe Away Their TearsWho Will Wipe Away Their Tears (PDF).
To request a hard copy, e-mail seekjustice@worldvision.org.



Press Contact

Rachel Wolff
253.815.2072(o)
253.394.2214(c)



© 2008 World Vision Inc.

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