As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, residents of Bethlehem are struggling to meet their medical needs, including new mothers, have warned Friends of the Holy Land (FHL).

Jesus’ birthplace is entering its second year with hardly any tourists as a direct result of the pandemic.

The past 20 months have been particularly difficult for families working in the tourism and pilgrimage industry, many of whom are Christians.

Since there is no financial assistance program in place, these families found themselves without any income.

With their savings depleted, many people are now buying food on credit or relying on friends and food banks for help, says Brendan Metcalfe, executive director of FHL, which provides grants to Christian families. to help them get through hardships.

In addition to the costs of food and basic needs, medical expenses have become a major concern for families in Bethlehem.

The ecumenical charity, which is registered with the Palestinian Authority, has seen an increase in the number of people seeking its support for medical bills, including medical bills for new or expecting mothers.

“The total collapse of the tourism industry in the place where Jesus was born has left mothers filled with anxiety,” said Metcalfe.

“A regular hospital birth means a bill of around £ 360, or £ 800 for a simple Caesarean – those numbers are out of reach for the vast majority of families.”

Samer Abu Hanna is one of the many people who have been so affected by the pandemic. He used to show visitors to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, but after a year without tourists, the family started falling behind on rent, electricity and food bills.

At the same time, his wife Mary was pregnant, which raised concerns about how the family would be able to meet the costs of the delivery and prenatal care of the baby.

Ultimately, when the baby arrived in the fall, his wife needed not only a Caesarean but a hernia as well, with the medical bill rising to £ 1,200 – almost three times monthly family income.

FHL helps around 30-40 people each month and currently employs two local Christian women as social workers to meet emergency needs.

The charity’s monthly emergency budget is now at an all-time high at £ 9,000 due to an increase in the number of people seeking support from the charity.

“That number is growing, primarily because of those seeking help with the cost of one-time medical procedures and the ongoing need for the cost of medications for chronic illnesses,” says Metcalfe.

“Each week our Holy Land office hears more stories from people in need of urgent treatment – from dentistry to cancer – than they just can’t afford.

“These Christian families who live in such a volatile land have had next to nothing since Covid ended their livelihood.”

Another area of ​​concern is elderly women whose families have emigrated. With little or no pension, they are struggling to make ends meet. FHL runs a day center to support them.

As a registered charity, FHL may hold a local bank account that allows it to pay people directly or pay schools, pharmacies or hospitals for treatment of people.

“That way we can track exactly how our donor funds are being used,” says Metcalfe.

In addition to donating to the FHL and supporting its Christmas call, he says, Christians can help by praying for peace in Bethlehem and not just in this immediate crisis but in the long term.

“The sad thing is that financial hardship is not the only challenge the people of the Holy Land face. They still live under occupation and there are still restrictions on movement.”

He also encourages Christians to come to Bethlehem in the future and visit Jesus’ birthplace.

“It is sad that so many Christians are not aware of the situation of their brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.

“Particularly in the UK we seem to have lost that commitment to visit at least once and see where Jesus walked, led his ministry, died and rose again.”

Over the past 20 months, FHL’s main focus has been the provision of emergency support. Looking ahead, Metcalfe hopes that over the next 12 months the association can work more on projects to “support” the Christian community in the Holy Land.

“These projects aim to encourage young people to go to university and learn a trade, to guide them in building businesses and to help them repair their homes,” he says.

“We also want to help them start a family and stay in the Holy Land. We want to give them the comfort that they can live, work and survive where they are now and that they do not need to migrate.

“Help us build hope where Hope was born! ” he adds.