Report on the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and the Imperative for Sustainable Development Goals

1. Joint Patriarchal Assessment Mission

A joint delegation, led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Theophilos III, The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, conducted a visit to Gaza. The mission’s objective was to witness the humanitarian situation firsthand and deliver a message of solidarity. The visit followed a military strike on the Holy Family parish, the only Catholic church in the region, which resulted in civilian casualties.

2. The Erosion of Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16)

The delegation reported a complete breakdown of peace and security, directly contravening the principles of SDG 16. The conflict, which escalated following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli offensive, has dismantled the foundations of a just and peaceful society.

• Attacks on Civilian Sanctuaries: The shelling of the Holy Family church underscores the vulnerability of community institutions and the failure to protect civilian life and sacred spaces.
• Call for Leadership: The Patriarchs issued a direct appeal to regional and global leaders, urging them to fulfill their responsibility as peacemakers and rejecting a future built on revenge or the displacement of Palestinians.
• Betrayal of Conscience: Patriarch Theophilos III emphasized that international silence in the face of such suffering constitutes a “betrayal of conscience,” calling for strong institutional accountability.

3. Critical Deficiencies in Basic Human Needs

The report highlights a severe humanitarian crisis, with fundamental SDGs being critically unmet.

SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

The population faces extreme deprivation, with widespread poverty and hunger.

• Mass displacement has left countless families without homes or possessions, forcing them into makeshift tent shelters in courtyards, streets, and on the beach.
• Access to food is severely limited, with reports of individuals waiting for hours for a single meal.
• Cardinal Pizzaballa described the refusal of humanitarian aid as a “sentence” of death, labeling the resulting humiliation and suffering as “morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.”

SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

The conflict has had a devastating impact on the physical and mental health of the population.

• High numbers of casualties and injuries were reported, with over 70,000 deaths cited by Palestinian estimates.
• A critical lack of medicine and medical supplies exacerbates the suffering of the wounded.
• Children, in particular, exhibit signs of severe psychological trauma, having become accustomed to the sounds of bombing.

4. Destruction of Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)

The delegation witnessed the widespread destruction of urban infrastructure, rendering communities unsustainable.

• The landscape is one of “devastation,” with collapsed buildings and rubble defining the environment.
• The loss of homes has led to a complete reliance on temporary shelters, indicating a total collapse of safe and resilient housing.
• The report notes that despite the physical destruction, the “dignity of the human spirit… refuses to be extinguished,” highlighting the resilience of the community in the face of infrastructural collapse.

5. A Framework for Reconciliation and Sustainable Peace

The Patriarchs concluded their report with an urgent call to action and a proposed framework for moving forward, grounded in the principles of justice and human dignity.

1. Immediate Humanitarian Intervention: Unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicine, and shelter, is a matter of life and death.
2. Restore Human Dignity: A future path must restore dignity and humanity to all, rejecting policies of captivity or displacement.
3. Initiate a Process of Reconciliation: A long-term, courageous process of healing between Palestinians and Israelis is necessary to address the deep wounds of the conflict.
4. Transform Wounds into Wisdom: The goal is not to forget the past but to forgive and transform the trauma into wisdom, creating the foundation for a genuine and lasting peace that is both political and human.

This framework aligns with the core mission of SDG 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses several critical issues in Gaza that directly relate to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The primary themes of conflict, humanitarian crisis, and the call for peace and reconciliation connect to the following SDGs:

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is the most prominent SDG, as the article’s core subject is the Gaza war, its devastating impact on civilians, the destruction of religious sites, and the urgent call for peace, reconciliation, and an end to violence.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly mentions the consequences of the conflict on human health, including deaths, injuries, and a critical lack of medicine, which directly undermines the well-being of the population.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The text describes widespread devastation, including “collapsed buildings” and the displacement of people who have “lost everything” and are now living in tents. This points to the destruction of housing, infrastructure, and cultural heritage, making communities unsafe and unsustainable.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The humanitarian crisis is highlighted with a specific focus on the lack of food. The article describes it as a “matter of life and death” and paints a picture of people waiting for hours for a “simple meal,” indicating severe food insecurity.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Alongside food and medicine, the article identifies the lack of water as a critical issue, stating that every hour without it “causes deep harm,” connecting the crisis to the fundamental need for clean water.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific problems described, the following targets are relevant:

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • The article directly addresses this target by describing the ongoing “Gaza war,” the “retaliatory offensive,” and the resulting “deaths of over 70,000 people in Gaza,” including “thousands of people, most of them civilians.” The call to “Blessed are the peacemakers” is an appeal to achieve this target.
2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
   • The situation described, with “three Christians… killed in the blast, and several others… injured,” and the overall high death toll, points to a massive health crisis exacerbated by conflict, which the existing systems cannot manage. The lack of “medicine” further highlights the failure to manage health risks.
3. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services…
   • The article describes a complete failure to meet this target. It details “a place of devastation,” “collapsed buildings,” and people living in “tents everywhere” because they “have lost everything.” This signifies a total loss of adequate and safe housing for a large population.
4. Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
   • This target is relevant due to the specific mention that “an Israeli tank fired on the only Catholic church in the region, the parish of the Holy Family.” A church is a site of significant cultural and religious heritage, and its damage is a direct setback to this target.
5. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
   • The article highlights the severe lack of food, stating, “Every hour without food… causes deep harm.” The image of “Men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of a simple meal” is a stark illustration of the failure to ensure access to sufficient food.
6. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • The cardinal’s statement that humanitarian aid, including water, is a “matter of life and death” and that going without it “causes deep harm” directly points to a critical lack of access to safe drinking water for the people in Gaza.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides both explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure the severity of the situation and any future progress:

• Indicator for Target 16.1 (Reduce violence and deaths): The article provides a direct quantitative indicator: “the deaths of over 70,000 people in Gaza.” This number of conflict-related deaths is a primary measure for this target. The mention of “several others were injured” also serves as a qualitative indicator of violence.
• Indicator for Target 11.1 (Access to housing): While not providing a number, the article implies an indicator through descriptive phrases like “collapsed buildings,” “buried under rubble,” and “tents everywhere.” This points to the number of destroyed housing units and the number of internally displaced persons living in temporary shelters as key indicators.
• Indicator for Target 11.4 (Protect cultural heritage): A specific event is mentioned that can be used as an indicator: the damage to “the only Catholic church in the region.” The number of cultural or religious sites damaged or destroyed in a conflict is a direct indicator for this target.
• Indicator for Target 2.1 (End hunger): The article implies the “prevalence of severe food insecurity” through descriptions like “Every hour without food… causes deep harm” and people waiting for a “simple meal.” The level of dependency on humanitarian food aid would be a measurable indicator.
• Indicator for Target 3.d (Manage health risks): The lack of “medicine” is a direct indicator of the collapse of access to essential healthcare services. The high casualty figures (“70,000 people”) also serve as an indicator of the failure to protect the population’s health during a crisis.

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cruxnow.com