A total of
1,007,924
people in need received our assistance in 2021.
Humanitarian overview
A protracted protection crisis continues in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli policies and practices that aim to accelerate the forcible transfer of Palestinians and annexation of territory are on the rise. Decades of Israeli occupation and nearly 15 years of siege by Israel and Egypt have resulted in Gaza’s dire economic situation. Numerous rounds of armed conflict between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, resulting in devastated critical infrastructure.
The May 2021 escalation left 261 Palestinians, including 67 children, dead in Gaza and also claimed the lives of 13 Israelis, including two children. Unrest spread to the West Bank, with a further 27 Palestinians, including four children, killed by Israeli forces. The psychological and material damage takes many years to address. A lack of political agreement between Palestinian political factions has compounded matters. Overall, the number of people in need across the oPt will likely increase in 2022.
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88,327people benefited from our education programme
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2,251people benefited from our shelter programme
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47,033people benefited from our camp management programme
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9,036people benefited from our ICLA programme
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981,506people benefited from our WASH programme
NRC's operation
We ensure that Palestinians affected by, or threatened with, displacement in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have access to assistance and protection.
Our operations, rooted in respect for human rights and the responsibility for all actors to uphold international humanitarian law (IHL), serve Palestinians who have been impacted by the occupation and blockade. We do this by providing humanitarian assistance for those underserved and most vulnerable, challenging policies that bring about violations of IHL, and being a strong advocate and clear voice for the people we serve.
Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)
We work to protect people and communities who have been, or are at risk of being, forced to leave their homes. We provide legal information, training, counselling and assistance for those affected by discriminatory policies and practices. We:
- work closely with national and international stakeholders to influence positive policy change
- provide legal services that protect people from demolition, eviction and confiscation orders, revocation of residency rights, access restrictions, and settler violence in the West Bank
- work with Israeli and Palestinian NGOs and private lawyers to provide effective counselling and legal assistance
- provide legal services linked to socio-economic rights
Education
Many children in the occupied Palestinian territory have seen or experienced traumatic events and subsequently suffer from nightmares which affect their ability to learn and thrive. We work to ensure that Palestinian children have access to quality education and psycho-educational support by:
- training teachers on effective classroom management strategies
- training counsellors to support students suffering from nightmares
- assisting teachers and school staff in developing child-centred teaching and learning approaches
- supporting parents and school communities in establishing parent associations
- providing information to students, parents and teachers about their rights and referral mechanisms for further support, in collaboration with our ICLA team
- providing emergency resources for vulnerable schools to enhance teaching and learning, as well as protect against attacks on education
- providing remedial teaching to children who are facing learning difficulties
Shelter and settlements
We provide access to adequate shelter for the most vulnerable people in Gaza. Our teams:
- provide shelter for households living in war-damaged and substandard homes
- provide support and technical assistance to people whose homes have been damaged through conflict to ensure that families have adequate shelter
- distribute essential household materials, including mattresses and blankets
- support families affected by the economic crisis with rental assistance to prevent eviction
Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) promotion
We help vulnerable communities access safe, sufficient, and affordable hygiene and water facilities in Gaza. Our teams:
- provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, including bathrooms, toilets, sinks and water network supplies to vulnerable households
- improve peoples’ access to public services and mitigate against winter flooding through community infrastructure projects
- respond to flood emergencies
- distribute hygiene items to vulnerable households, and provide training to improve social and environmental health
Livelihoods and food security
We have started Cash & Markets programming with a focus on empowerment, gender, equity, social inclusion and youth. Our initiatives are focused on achieving livelihoods outcomes through our newly adopted market-based programming approach. Our team works to:
- provide multi-purpose cash to vulnerable households affected by the economic crisis and emergencies
- include internally displaced people and vulnerable communities in decision-making processes
- seek opportunities for self-reliance and income generation so that people can better support themselves
- increase the emergency preparedness and response capacities of local authorities, humanitarian responders, and communities
- improve coordination between communities and humanitarian organisations
Policy, protection and research
We provide protection and policy analysis to a range of actors in the occupied Palestinian territory, promoting principled humanitarian assistance in accordance with international law. We engage closely with international decision-makers and advocate for the protection of displaced and vulnerable people’s human rights.
Cluster and other coordination support
We play an important role in humanitarian coordination in Palestine by leading the Shelter Cluster, hosting the Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA) leading the Legal Task Force and managing the West Bank Protection Consortium, as well as the Gaza Protection Consortium.
