With a ceasefire finally in place – after almost 500 days of non-stop bombardment, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and starvation against Palestinian civilians – Islamic Relief is ready to scale up its humanitarian relief and sustainable rebuilding efforts to meet specific and evolving community needs across all areas of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir Al-Balah, Gaza and North Gaza.
Our immediate ceasefire response plan prioritises support for the return of more than one million internally displaced people, from the south, back to the north of Gaza.
Islamic Relief has been one of the first organisations to begin rubble removal – clearing debris from main streets, restoring access to neighbourhoods, and laying the ground for the reconstruction of homes, schools and hospitals. We have also begun scaling up the distribution of hot meals and clean drinking water in northern Gaza, and are expanding our education and psychosocial support services.
Our collaboration with an extensive network of local partners brings together a wealth of experience in large-scale humanitarian responses. Leveraging this expertise, Islamic Relief is committed to ensuring that recovery efforts in Gaza are coordinated and implemented efficiently, in partnership with key stakeholders such as UN agencies and other local and international non-profit organisations.
We aim to promote equitable access to essential services, and to contribute to the overall wellbeing and resilience of the population through the following relief and recovery initiatives:
i. Food security
Amid the bombardment, Islamic Relief provided 63 million hot meals, specialised nutrition for women and children, 220,000 ready-to-eat packs, bread for 30,000 people per day, and 263,000 vegetable packs.
During this ceasefire, we will continue to provide food packages, vouchers and hot meals, expanding our food security programme to include multi-purpose cash assistance and livelihood support.
ii. Health
On its mission to improve the quality and accessibility of medical services – particularly for women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities – Islamic Relief will support local non-profit organisations that provide vital medical services, thereby complementing governmental efforts and strengthening healthcare systems. Support will also encompass the provision of medical supplies, facilitation of medical procedures and blood donation drives.
iii. Shelter and non-food items
Islamic Relief provided winter clothes, blankets and other non-food items to 67,000 households during the bombardment. The organisation’s early recovery programming will continue to provide critical items such as kitchen sets, bedding and tarpaulins, and will expand to include the provision of basic solar energy systems, essential home appliances, and transitional shelters.
iv. Education
To date, Islamic Relief has provided psychosocial support for nearly 100,000 children and caregivers. Now, to help restore education services, support learning continuity, and help foster a conducive environment for education under these still very challenging conditions, Islamic Relief will ensure that students receive educational kits, and that schools with light to moderate damage are repaired and furnished.
v. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
During the bombardment, Islamic Relief provided one million people with drinking water, 65,000 people with hygiene kits, cleaned 85 shelters in seven months, and ensured WASH facilities at 67 shelters, serving 70,000 people.
Early WASH recovery efforts will now include the deployment of mobile toilets and the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure to restore sustainable access to water and sanitation services.
vi. Protection
Islamic Relief’s delivery of first aid psychosocial support, to help people cope with immediate trauma, will extend to family counselling and other psychosocial support services aimed at fostering long term resilience and wellbeing within affected communities.
vii. Orphan sponsorship
Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme in Palestine has grown from financially supporting 8,750 orphans and vulnerable children before October 2023, to now supporting 17,775 children – many of whom were orphaned during the bombardment.
The devastating impact of the bombardment has not only left the people of Gaza in dire need, but has also profoundly affected the people at the forefront of recovery efforts. Our team and local partners are critical to driving meaningful rehabilitation, but their ability to serve effectively hinges on their own wellbeing and operational capacity.
Supporting the team and their families is not just a moral obligation; it is a practical necessity. By securing their wellbeing and equipping them with a stable environment, we enable them to channel their full energy and expertise into rebuilding Gaza.
For all people to live in safety, with dignity, and to have their fundamental human rights upheld, we believe that the root causes of the crisis must be addressed, and that there must be an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.