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Preliminary Appeal
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Support to Gaza and the West Bank – PSE141
Preliminary Appeal Target: US$ 485,966
Geneva, 10 June 2014
Years of blockade and political conflict have strangled economic development and increased poverty in Gaza. The ongoing blockade has been widely described as a collective punishment that resulting in a multi-faceted humanitarian crisis. The situation is grim and deteriorating at all levels: the movement of Palestinians out of Gaza, access to basic utilities, housing, education, work, health and adequate standard of living continued to be severely restricted due to Israel’s continuation of the blockade.
Also in the West Bank, the latest assessments confirmed that closures, constraints and the separation barrier had and were continuing to have a severe impact on livelihoods where the restrictions on movement have been tighter, where the separation barrier is being constructed and illegal settlements intensified. After years of living under strict closures, the coping mechanisms of many households have been exhausted or severely strained.
The ACT Alliance has supported work of its members in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since many years. In the appeal on hand, the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches (DSPR/MECC) is requesting funds to carry out projects in Gaza in terms of cash for work, livelihood, health including psychosocial support. The activities in the West Bank will focus on livelihood and provision of potable water.
On behalf of the ACT Palestine Forum (APF), DSPR is also requesting funds which will be used support the important position of the APF coordination. Funds will also be used for joint ACT projects related to capacity building, emergency preparedness and response planning of the forum, and quality and accountability initiatives.
A full appeal will be issued towards the end of June which will have additional details on the one-year programme. DSPR and the entire ACT Palestine Forum appreciate the support provided over many years and are looking forward to continuing the good collaboration.
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