Occupied Palestinian territory
Nada, 11, her sister and two brothers in their home in Gaza. Through child sponsorship ActionAid has set up children’s clubs - providing a safe environment for Nada and her siblings to play, including emotional and extra-curricular support .
Why we work in Gaza
Since 2007, Gaza has been living under a blockade, meaning people and goods are prevented from freely entering and leaving Gaza by land, sea, or air. This severely limits basic necessities like food, medicine, and building materials from getting into Gaza.
The blockade makes life near impossible for the 2.3 million people who live there – 1.2 million of whom are refugees. Most people have little or no access to essential resources such as electricity, water, and sewage removal.
Half the population of Gaza is children. Many have experienced conflict for a large part of their life and are battling with severe trauma and emotional distress. And their education has been affected too: more than 90% of schools in Gaza have been destroyed since October 2023.
The blockade, repeated conflict, and increasing poverty has had a devastating impact on Gaza’s economy. Around 80% of people are unemployed, giving Gaza the highest unemployment rate in the world.
Why we work in the West Bank
Many Palestinians living in the West Bank are faced with little or no access to basic rights such as water, electricity, health, sanitation, education or livelihood, and are unable to build homes or infrastructure.
Palestinian people face systematic human rights violations including unlawful demolitions, forced displacement and arbitrary arrests and few have adequate access to legal representation. A system of checkpoints and closures severely limits freedom of movement.
More than a 700,000 Israeli settlers live in 237 "settlements" in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, all of which are illegal under international law.
Responding to the Gaza Crisis in 2023-2026
The war in Gaza has left thousands dead and without homes or livelihoods. Airstrikes destroyed apartment buildings, schools and a health centre that was providing Covid-19 testing and vaccines.
With vital services shut, ActionAid’s local staff and partners continue to work to distribute essential aid to displaced families, including:
- Blankets, mattresses, cooking gas, hygiene kits and nappies for babies
- Medicine
- Fuel for generators and mobile clinics
- Setting up safe spaces for women, and organising psychosocial support for traumatised children and their families.
What we do in oPt
Along with our urgently-needed humanitarian assistance, we are also committed to long-term support to the people in oPt.
Through a partnership with Fekra Arts Institute, we give children psychosocial support in the form of a series of workshops focussed on art, drama and storytelling which help them deal with their grief.
Before the war women in oPt had one of the highest education levels in the Middle East region, yet nearly three times more men are in paid employment. We help women to earn their own income by offering them the training and resources they need - from sewing equipment to business skills - and connect them with other women who need help so they can support one another in the long term.
Hala attending an ActionAid supported workshop for traumatised children in Gaza
ActionAid
Children recovering from the trauma of war
Hala lives in a refugee camp, on the north-west coast of Gaza. She saw her cousins killed as they played on a local beach, and the trauma had stayed with her ever since. Insomnia, anxiety, aggression and depression have plagued her life.
Thanks to a local partnership, Hala was given psychological support though attending workshops where art, drama and storytelling help children deal with their grief. After 10 intensive sessions Hala's distress and anxiety subsided.
With much support and encouragement from her teachers and new friends, Hala started to draw and paint with enthusiasm. "We saw her beautiful smile. Hope appeared in her eyes," her social worker told us. Hala explained: "I remember what the teachers told me about leaving behind my fear and shyness. I became stronger and told the story of my cousins."
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Page updated 22 April 2026
