West Bank and Gaza Strip
Save the Children is one of the largest U.S. nongovernmental organizations working in the West Bank and Gaza addressing the immediate humanitarian and long-term development needs of children and adults. With over 30 years of experience on the ground, Save the Children is committed to building the capacity of and empowering our local partners to design, implement, sustain and monitor local development programs over the long term. Today, nearly half of our programs in the region are implemented through local partners in all of the major cities and surrounding villages of the West Bank and throughout northern and southern Gaza. With offices in Nablus, Halhoul, Ramallah, Gaza City and Jerusalem, our staff makes every effort to conduct programs even during the worst fighting, travel restrictions and blockades.
Challenges for Children
Children and their families living in the West Bank and Gaza are among the Middle East's most marginalized populations. The health of children is particularly at risk and the World Health Organization has expressed concern over the state of public health care in the West Bank and Gaza. Food insecurity is also on the rise; girls and boys under the age of five are particularly vulnerable with one in 10 suffering from stunting. Unemployment among Palestinians is also steadily increasing and currently stands at around 23 percent.
Numbers at a Glance
- More than 70 percent of nine-month-old children in Gaza are anemic;
- 140 Palestinian children lost their lives due to the continuing violence in 2006;
- Some two thirds of children living in the West Bank and Gaza do not have safe areas for entertainment, socializing and playing sports; and
- Some 40,000 children under 18 years old work in the West Bank and Gaza — 73 percent of whom need to work due to their families' severe financial conditions.
Our Response
In the West Bank and Gaza, Save the Children implements programs in the areas of education, economic opportunities and psychosocial health. In addition, our work in humanitarian assistance, child protection and youth development are crucial crosscutting themes in our programs.
Economic Opportunity
Our economic opportunity programs increase the skills, knowledge and resources of youth and young women so that they can participate in economic activities. Our INJAZ program — Achievement in Arabic — helps youth to bridge the important gap between school and work by providing them with career counseling, vocational and life skills training and technology education. Employment generating projects support poor families with short-term employment and income resources, which provide some relief from the economic hardships they face as well as help improve local living conditions by enhancing services and facilities.
Youth
In addition to INJAZ, our office implements other programs to help youth, including NASEEJ — our Regional Community Youth Development Project — which fosters healthy communities, creates opportunities and space for equitable partnership between youth and adults and mobilizes local and external resources for youth and community development. Our SIRAJ project — Young Leaders Practicing Leadership — provides youth with inspiring and affirmative role models and networks that demonstrate positive and practical ways to contribute to their society and economy.
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Girls at a school northeast of Rafah where Save the Children works. |
Child Protection
Save the Children is a lifeline for children at risk. Our groundbreaking psychosocial programs help children cope with stress and build the capacity of families and communities to support children's psychosocial well-being. These initiatives also increase the capacity of local organizations to meet the needs of children and help create sustainable programs to promote their well-being.
Emergency Response
We respond to desperate humanitarian situations with a wide range of emergency interventions to support children and their families, including the distribution of emergency household kits, psychosocial support, child protection, emergency education as well as water and sanitation.
Plans for the Future: Looking Forward for Children
For almost three decades, Save the Children has been working side-by-side with children and their families in the West Bank and Gaza, providing critical assistance, with a focus on the neediest and most underserved. With extensive program experience and policy expertise, Save the Children is a leader and innovator in the Middle East and has earned the respect and trust of local communities and partners. With the support of our donors, we can continue to create sustainable programs that will improve the lives of children and their families.
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A boy in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp, Gaza, takes part in a "child-to-child" project in which children identify a local problem and solutions. |
Iman
Eleven-year old Iman and her family were greatly affected by recent violence in southern Gaza. Her home, and that of many other families, was destroyed along with the local kindergarten. In order to help families affected by the resulting humanitarian crisis, Save the Children distributed emergency kits containing food, as well as personal and household hygiene supplies. The kits also contained toys and books for girls and boys forced to remain indoors when it was too dangerous for them to play outside with their friends.
Families were greatly relieved when their children were able to return to their kindergarten, thanks to help provided by Save the Children. Additionally, our staff distributed back-to-school kits to over 2,000 girls and boys attending al Shoka School. Psychosocial activities were also implemented with children, mothers, caregivers and kindergarten teachers to help children recover from the trauma. Iman is continuing her studies at al Shoka and hopes to one day become a dentist.
