Add CARE to your address book to ensure we reach you every time. How?

Welcome to the March eBulletin! Humanitarian crisis in Gaza Bird flu buzzline Support CARE when you call Responding to Cyclone Ivan Break the mould this Easter The humanitarian situation in Gaza is now the worst it has ever been since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967. Unemployment has soared and 80 percent of people in Gaza are now dependent on food aid for survival. CARE is part of a coalition of eight leading humanitarian organisations who have issued a joint report this month, warning that Israel's blockade of Gaza is punishing the entire Gazan civilian population of 1.5 million. Read more in this edition. Humanitarian crisis in Gaza "The current situation in Gaza is man-made, completely avoidable and, with the necessary political will, can also be reversed." That was the conclusion of a report by organisations including: Amnesty International, CARE International UK, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Médecins du Monde UK, Oxfam, Save The Children UK and Trócaire. According to the report, the blockade of Gaza has dramatically worsened levels of poverty and unemployment and has led to a deterioration in education and health services. 95 percent of Gaza's industrial operations are suspended due to the ban on imported raw materials and the block on exports. Fuel and electricity restrictions have also led to hospitals experiencing power cuts of up to 8-12 hours a day, and the water and sewage infrastructure is on the brink of total collapse. The report is calling on the UK Government to exert greater pressure on the Israeli government to open the crossings into Gaza and to help facilitate a process of Palestinian reconciliation. Read more Bird flu buzz line Last month an outbreak of avian influenza hit northern Laos, but thanks to a new national bird flu hotline there was an early warning system in place to help respond. The hotline helps the government to track, monitor and crucially take action on possible cases of bird flu. In Laos, where a quarter of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, the threat to livelihoods posed by bird flu is of grave concern to poor farmers. Eggs and poultry are a vital source of extra income for sending children to school or buying extra food for the family. CARE works closely with the local governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other agencies to reach as many people as possible and to teach important information about the virus. Posters, short plays, education sessions – even karaoke and a "Super Chicken" mascot: CARE teams use everything they can to spread the word. Read more about CARE's response Support CARE when you call Here's an easy way to help CARE and save money at the same time. Now you can raise funds for CARE every time you make a phone call, simply by switching your phone line to the Phone Co-op. Not only can you save up to 15 percent on calls compared to BT, and 10 percent on your line rental, CARE will also receive 6 percent of what you spend on calls, broadband or mobile calls. The Phone Co-op are a low cost, ethical and environmentally-friendly telecoms service, recently rated "Best Buy" for line rental and broadband services by Ethical Consumer magazine. The Phone Co-op is owned by its customers and run solely for their benefit. All services are climate-neutral, most are on monthly contract and customer service gets a 98.5% approval rating. To cut your bills and benefit CARE, call today on 0845 458 9000 quoting "CARE International AF0203" or visit www.phone.coop/care Responding to Cyclone Ivan When Cyclone Ivan swept into Madagascar last month bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 70 mph, CARE coordinated a rapid response to the emergency, distributing an initial supply of food and shelter for up to 50,000 people. Estimates now indicate that more than 60 people were killed in the storm, whilst more than 148,000 were left homeless. The storm damaged 44,000 acres of crops, leaving farmers with no means to feed themselves and their families. After meeting emergency needs, CARE is expanding the scope of relief activities to reach more people and provide agricultural support, including seed and tools, and to help people rebuild their homes and lives. Read more about how CARE is helping Break the mould this Easter Here's a fantastic alternative to the conventional chocolate egg this Easter: give your loved one an I CARE piglet, and you will be helping to change lives. That's because, when a piglet grows up, she can produce a litter of piglets - twice a year, for a poor family to sell at the market. And each one earns that family an income, which they can use to build a house, grow food and buy school books for their children. We have a whole range of novel gift ideas, from goats and seeds to school desks and fly proof loos - there's something for everyone! Thinking of sending an Easter greetings card? Why not be eco-friendly and send one of our beautiful new I CARE eCards instead? They are fast, easy to use and FREE! Visit the I CARE shop Thank you for your ongoing interest in CARE. Please help us continue to make a lasting difference to people's lives by making a regular gift now. If you would like to know any more about our work, please do contact me – I will be more than happy to help. Best wishes Natalie Jones Online Communications, CARE International UK About this email Add CARE to your address book to ensure we reach you every time. How? You have received this email because you have supplied your email address to CARE International UK and have agreed to receive further contact from us, or you have been forwarded this email from a friend. If you have any queries please email us If your email address or other details have changed please let us know here To subscribe to CARE's email newsletters, please sign up here To be removed from our mailing list please unsubscribe here CARE International UK is a registered charity, no. 292506. 10-13 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB, United Kingdom.