ACTED has been operating in the West Bank since 2007 and in the Gaza strip since 2008, with offices in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza. The NGO works to support vulnerable populations by addressing their urgent needs, and supporting efforts to rehabilitate and rebuild their homes, livelihoods and communities. ACTED also implements innovative capacity building initiatives in the areas of digital technologies and social entrepreneurship.
Over fifty years of occupation, economic stagnation and internal political deadlock have led to a situation in which approximately 2.1 million Palestinians need humanitarian assistance due to conflict, displacement, movement restrictions, and the denial of access to livelihoods, amidst a host of other humanitarian challenges. This protracted crisis has been further exacerbated in the past two years by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A significant majority of those who need humanitarian assistance live in the Gaza Strip, which was heavily impacted by the May-2021 hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups, and where the blockade continues to impact every aspect of life. Public infrastructure is continually starved of the materials and investment required to meet the needs of a growing population. Access to safe drinking water and electricity remain extremely limited.
Amidst frequent rounds of peace talks with limited success, combined with internal political divisions and the dramatic drop in funding from key humanitarian actors, it has never been more vital for humanitarian and development actors to provide a lifeline to Palestinian families, and the communities in which they live.
ACTED in occupied Palestinian Territory
ACTED addresses both the humanitarian needs and development challenges in oPt through a nexus approach. This includes emergency support to vulnerable households living in substandard conditions through shelter rehabilitation and provision of non-food items in both the Gaza strip and the West Bank, as well as addressing WASH needs at community and household level, including the rehabilitation of WASH facilities in schools and medical centers. Recently, ACTED has been supporting the Gaza strip in its recovery following the May-2021 hostilities, helping families to rebuild their shelters and farmers to rehabilitate their land.
Beyond humanitarian needs, ACTED aims at providing assistance that would help communities to transition away from humanitarian assistance and would foster development. ACTED is in fact working to unlock economic growth in oPt by harnessing the potential of digital innovation to generate inclusive employment opportunities for young graduates and entrepreneurs in both the West Bank and the Gaza strip. In the Gaza strip, ACTED is also supporting the most vulnerable households, notably gender-based violence survivors, in creating livelihoods in order to reinforce their capacity to sustainably meet their most basic needs and thus become financially independent.
After the May-2021 hostilities, ACTED supported farmers in the Gaza strip in restoring their land © ACTED, 2021.
After the May-2021 hostilities, ACTED supported families in the Gaza Strip in the rehabilitation of their shelter © ACTED, 2021.
In the Gaza Strip, ACTED relies on its Community-Based Protection Committees to ensure solid engagement and ownership at community level and to guarantee better respect of the safety and privacy of each individual, especially the most vulnerable groups (female headed HHs, disabled, elderly). ACTED regularly follows up with them and provides them with on-the-job coaching © ACTED, 2021.
Under several projects, ACTED stockpiles Non-Food items to ensure it has the capacity to rapidly address beneficiary needs in time of emergency © ACTED, 2021.
ACTED supported Al Quds Open University’s Mobile Educational Center to facilitate women’s access to digital tools and trainings © ACTED, 2021.
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