MAIN ACTIVITIES

ACF has been working in the Palestinian Territories since September 2002, helping vulnerable populations to meet their basic needs in water and sanitation, food security and nutrition.The organization is working on three fronts: improving the coverage of basic needs of vulnerable households through an emergency response; restoring and improving trade relations between Palestinian producers and Israeli traders; and influencing Palestinian, Israel and international political decisions by raising awareness about factors affecting living conditions of vulnerable Palestinian, among the public opinion, as well as among international and national organizations.
 

Food Security

• Rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure
• Food supply and social services ("cash for work")
• Livestock distribution
• Distribution of fodder and water for small ruminants
• Farmers’ training  and agricultural tools distribution
• Livestock management and productivity improvement
• Improving access to markets for agricultural products
• Promoting trade between Palestinian farmers and traders
• Monitoring of socio-economic indicators
• Know-how transfer through training and participatory activities

Water and sanitation

• Public awareness campaigns
• Construction and rehabilitation of traditional water tanks
• Construction of reservoirs and points of water
• Rehabilitation of water reservoirs and pipes
• Water quality program
• Water scarcity monitoring and response
• Water emergency supply through trucking
• Shelters and latrines construction

Coordination and Advocacy

• Member of Humanitarian Country Team
• Elected member of the Executive Committee of AIDA (Association of International Development Agencies)
• Participates in the cluster system (WASH, Agriculture, Health and Nutrition, Protection)
• Campaigns and advocacy in OPT, Israel and around the world
• Participatory workshops and trainings

HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT

With the revival of the conflict (Intifada Al Aqsa in September 2000), poverty and unemployment rates tripled in Gaza Strip and West Bank. The peace process is still at a standstill. A significant part of the population have still no access to basic services: according to the UNPD, 14% of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank have not access to drinking water. In Gaza, food insecurity level exceeds 60% and 25% in West Bank. Due to growing vulnerability among the population, humanitarian organizations are increasingly present in the area: 55% of Palestinian people live on international aid. However, the access of humanitarian organizations to vulnerable population is more and more difficult because of the increasing political instability. The failure of the Mecca agreement and the ensuing civil war in June 2007 between Hamas and Fatah has plunged the country into a situation of division between two camps and two territories: The Gaza Strip dominated by Hamas and the West Bank under Fatah control. In June 2007, the political victory of Hamas in Gaza was followed by an embargo on all borders of the Bank of Gaza. This embargo has exacerbated the socio-economic crises hitting the region since 2000.

During these three years of embargo, recurrent crises of violence took place. Population was in constant danger because of the ban to leave the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel. During the military operation “Cast lead”, launched by the Israeli government on 27 December 2008, this interdiction has had dramatic consequences for the civilian population. Nearly 1,400 Palestinians were killed and 5,500 were injured. Restrictions on goods’ imports make it difficult for the population in Gaza to rebuild their lives and undermine other actors’ capacity to reduce the needs of the affected population. The embargo on Gaza Strip led to a total collapse of its economy, which triggered to the worst humanitarian crises since 1967. In the West Bank, restrictions on people and goods ’movements are still increasing, while access to basic resources continues to be complicated.

The situation in the Palestinian Territory in 2012 is characterized by a sustained political impasse, settlement expansion and Israeli military occupation, which includes an extensive control system on the Palestinian population with restrictions on movement and access to food and water, exposure to violence, and continued violations of human rights. In addition, territorial fragmentation and political polarization between Fatah and Hamas continue to undermine Palestinian governance, while weakening social cohesion. Commercial restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on Gaza and the West Bank have further affected economic conditions, severely hampering agriculture, manufacturing and trade, and creating a situation where citizens are increasingly forced to rely on foreign aid.