ACTED has been present in the West Bank since 2007 and Gaza since 2008, with 3 offices in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza. The NGO intervenes to meet the needs of vulnerable populations whose living conditions have deteriorated in recent years. The teams address urgent needs, support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes and agricultural assets. Beyond recovery programming, ACTED is also carrying out innovative initiatives to strengthen populations’ capacities in the areas of digital technologies, tourism and social entrepreneurship.
Mission context
Humanitarian needs and development challenges in the occupied Palestinian Territory remain driven by the stalled peace process, which impacts all aspects of daily life. In Gaza, living conditions have increasingly deteriorated due to the last three wars and the recent energy crisis, which threatens the economy to collapse. Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure remains the most pressing need, and Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020 if major vulnerabilities remain unaddressed. Reconstruction has been slow, and over 60,000 shelters still need urgent rehabilitation. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, restrictions on movements of goods and persons impede access to basic services while strongly reducing economic opportunities, leading to a stagnant economy and job market. These obstacles are reflected by an escalating unemployment rate: 27% in 2016, and 60% among youth.
ACTED in occupied Palestinian Territory
Following the wide-scale destruction that occurred during the 2014 conflict in Gaza, ACTED and its local partners have been supporting the reconstruction of homes and agricultural assets, assisting over 3,500 individuals in 2017. ACTED adopts a self-recovery approach, by providing the affected population with the technical and material support needed to enable rebuilding homes and infrastructure by themselves. This approach ensures the sustainability, quality and local ownership of assistance, while ensuring beneficiaries are better equipped to deal with future shocks.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, ACTED supports the most vulnerable Palestinians through development initiatives to empower women, youth and unemployed graduates in the sectors of digital technologies, tourism and social entrepreneurship. ACTED also responds to shocks such as natural disasters by providing cash and material assistance to affected households.
