The AAW, the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, Anglican Missions support Al-Ahli Hospital

From the AAW Overseas and Outreach (O&O) July update… NZAAW O&O PROJECT: As many of you are aware, the Al-Ahli Hospital has been chosen as our current NZAAW project. AAW groups throughout NZ should make donations to their diocesan treasurer who will forward these donations to our NZAAW Treasurer. The NZAAW Treasurer will send the final amount to Anglican Missions who have the expertise to send funds economically and securely. ‘Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is an historic, Christian-led medical facility in Gaza City owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. It provides vital, non-discriminatory healthcare, trauma care, and free community clinics amid severe regional conflict.’ Background Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is a hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Founded in 1882, it is one of the oldest hospitals in the city and the only Christian hospital in Gaza. It was established in what was then the Ottoman Empire as a medical mission of the Anglican Church’s Church Missionary Society (CMS) following the Anglo-Egyptian War. In 1954, the hospital was purchased by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, which renamed it the Gaza Baptist Hospital. In the early 1980s, it was returned to the CMS, who turned it over to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. The diocese changed the name of the hospital to Ahli Arab Hospital. June 2026 Gaza’s al-Ahli Anglican Hospital continues to offer healthcare in extreme conditions, as it serves thousands of people injured by airstrikes or suffering chronic diseases. Staff report that people in Gaza are dying from lack of timely medical intervention. They say the situation is worse than in 2023. Al-Ahli staff report they are desperate for funding, as there are so many patients needing healthcare. They serve 500-600 patients each day. Sawsan Batato, Programme Director for the Diocese of Jerusalem said al-Ahli Hospital was blessed to continue to be able to provide urgent medical intervention, when many services could not. She has called for urgent help, saying the situation is worse than in 2023, with many dying from lack of timely medical intervention. ‘We need humanitarian aid, advocacy, immediate worldwide intervention,’ she said. Thousands of people in Gaza are displaced, living in tents or damaged shelters. The population has experienced a rise in infectious diseases, gastro infections, and acute respiratory illnesses. Rats are even attacking babies. Waste is no longer able to be collected. Being out on the streets would be too dangerous. People are burning rubbish where they live because there is nowhere else for it to go. Plastic, medical waste, whatever is there. The air is toxic. Water is unsafe and the ability to manage personal hygiene is challenged. In these conditions, disease spreads easily. Access to food is limited, especially for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Hospital staff report they are unable to run medical equipment for 24 hours, due to fuel shortages. They themselves are working around the clock to serve those in need of healthcare. Blockage of supplies continues to affect Gaza, which is causing humanitarian need to increase. This Youtube video has been created by Jen Lun, Anglican Missions, and gives an excellent update on the hospital and the situation in Gaza. Thank you for your support. Anne Gover and Margaret McLanachan NZ AAW O&O Co-ordinators Contact us: overseas-outreach@nzaaw.org.nz