As the economy in Bethlehem suffers amid the Israel-Hamas war, a Catholic organization is operating an emergency program that provides temporary employment, health care, and tuition assistance to local residents.  

More than 240 people in the West Bank’s Bethlehem Governorate, many of whom have been affected by layoffs amid steep drops in trade and tourism revenue, have benefited from the program since January, according to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). 

The Bethlehem Emergency Project, sponsored by CNEWA-Pontifical Mission’s office for Palestine and Israel, has helped cover medical assistance for more than 70 people who have very little or no income, according to the report. 

Joseph Hazboun, the regional director of CNEWA-Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, reported in June that Bethlehem is currently losing about $2.5 million per day in tourism revenue, according to the article. Hazboun also reported that the unemployment rate in the city has increased to 31%. 

To combat this strain, CNEWA-Pontifical Mission partnered with two local municipalities to provide 60 people with temporary employment, such as upgrading the municipalities’ digital appearances, cleaning up litter and waste, and completing cultural heritage restoration projects. 

Christian students at Bethlehem University and Dar al-Kalima University have also received support from the program, which provided nearly 50 scholarships to pay off overdue tuition fees, according to the report. The program did the same for 65 Christian students at lower-level schools. 

One recipient, who was not identified by name in the report, said the scholarship “has changed my life and helped my family survive.” 

The project is funded by a $145,000 grant from CNEWA donors from the US and Canada, and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which is based in the Holy Land.