Palestine

Why Palestine? With no end in sight to the decade-long blockade, Gaza’s people continue to face a humanitarian crisis.

Gaza’s population continues to face an alarming and distressing situation marked by ongoing tension and violence. The territory has been under a blockade for over a decade, leading to high levels of poverty and unemployment. Ongoing conflict and political instability have further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. The humanitarian crisis is severe. Around 2.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, including 1.1 million children where access to healthcare, water and education are extremely limited.

IDRF has been serving Gaza for over 20 years through local partners. With our staff present on the ground, we’ve served the people in Gaza to help them recover from their volatile history.

IDRF is committed to providing relief and support to vulnerable populations in Palestine. Our long-standing presence in Palestine has enabled us to provide immediate aid to families in need through the Gaza Appeal, which includes the procurement and storage of food and medical supplies within the territories to ensure essential goods are available during blockades.

The majority of the Gaza population is food insecure. To alleviate the economic burden of over a thousand families, IDRF’s Food Vouchers and Food Packs Distribution program, we will provide food packages to 500 families during Ramadan, and distribute food vouchers to 1000 families to help impoverished families attain nutritious vegetables, fruits and raw meat. We will also distribute 2 months’ supply of water to over 200 families, and provide 500 daily iftar meals inside Masjid Al-Aqsa during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.

Our Ramadan Fresh Food Parcels program provides essential nutrition to 1,038 food insecure families in Palestine while supporting local small-scale farmers and women’s cooperatives. By supplementing poor diets, we alleviate economic burdens and protect livelihoods, enabling vulnerable communities to thrive.

In Gaza, where 97% of water provided by aquifers are unfit for human consumption, IDRF has implemented crucial programs to increase access to clean and safe drinking water. The Central Water Well Digging and Installation program aims to provide potable water for 30,000 people by digging a central well, whereas our Water Well Digging & Maintenance program maintains three wells and digs five new ones, providing a sustainable source of water for those lacking access to water.

The Clean Water, Healthy Children program provides clean water to 30 schools across Gaza by filling their tanks with 1000-2000 liters of water daily. Through these initiatives, IDRF is significantly contributing towards combating water shortage in Palestine. By implementing these initiatives, IDRF is making a significant contribution towards combating water shortage in Palestine.

In the healthcare sector, the Palestinian Information Medical Center reports close to 5,000 students being diagnosed with visual impairments. IDRF is providing children with certified optometry assessments and a pair of prescription eyeglasses for those diagnosed.

IDRF’s Our Children, Our Future and Medical Students Education and Training Scholarship project, aims to provide high-quality education and skills to children and youth, improving their long-term well-being. These programs serve to promote science literacy, develop abilities in computer use and vocational skills to empower students to enter the workforce and gain income sustainability. IDRF’s Trauma Rehabilitation Centre program brings psychological support to vulnerable children. Lastly, our Technical & Vocational Education for Women in Gaza offers training courses to empower women to enter the workforce and gain income sustainability.

To further promote income sustainability and economic development, the Emergency Support to Restore Gaza’s Farmers’ Livelihoods aims to restore productivity and livelihoods of struggling farmers in Northern Governorate of Gaza. Through rehabilitating 30 greenhouses, 60 dunums of open land, and equipping 90 farmers with necessary inputs, we will enable them to return to work and link them to potential future marketing channels.

To support sustainable development among vulnerable communities in Gaza, IDRF’s Sustainable Farming in Gaza project provides farmers with all the necessary agricultural inputs to restore the productivity of their farms, ensuring a source of recurring income to support themselves on an ongoing basis.