Editorial: December 2016

By Ibrahim Hewitt, Chairman of the Trustees

The past month has been marked by cataclysmic tremors in world politics, from the news that Donald Trump will become the 45^th President of the United States of America to the ruling in November that legitimises settlements build on private Palestinian land in the West Bank.  These watershed moments, though stemming from different contexts and significant in their own respective ways, herald a difficult new era for the international solidarity movement.

On the 29^th November the United Nations commemorated International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People; an annual affirmation of the organisation’s commitment to pursuing a lasting peace and justice in the region. In his speech to the assembly, Jan Eliasson, the Deputy Secretary General commended the efforts of the global solidarity movement in reaching historic  milestones for the movement, such as the formal recognition of Palestine as an Observer State in 2012. However, Eliasson also acknowledged that the past decade has been characterised by  symbols of solidarity rather than lasting measures to pursue peace.

As events on the world stage unfold, unfortunately the reality on the ground for Palestinian refugees remains woefully unchanged. With winter approaching, the situation is uncertain.  Our fundraising team visited the Lebanese refugee camps in November to speak to staff from the Lebanon Field Office and see the conditions of the camps for themselves. You can read more about their trip here.

The winter stretches ahead of us, as the temperature drops and the nights draw in, it can be easy to forget about those for whom winter is a time of harshness, not comfort. This year, we aim to deliver aid to over 5000 Palestinian families, as well as to Syrian refugees displaced by the ongoing crisis. Only with your help can we equip those in need with vital supplies to see them through the winter. As we look ahead to 2017, let’s come together #ForPalestine and keep them out of the cold.