ActionAid Palestine: The Palestinian Youth Humanitarian Model Emerges from the Rubble, Inspiring the World and Sending Hope Despite War and Loss

Occupied Palestinian Territories – While youth around the world and their governments mark the International Youth Day, celebrated annually on August 12, Palestinian youth continue to showcase inspiring models of leadership in humanitarian work and community service despite facing all forms of violations, including killing, injury, starvation, displacement, arrest, and loss of work and education due to the siege and repeated Israeli wars on the Gaza Strip—especially the recent war since October 2023—and the ongoing Israeli military escalation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Since October 7, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza war, with youth making up about 24% of the total victims (26% male and 22% female). Young people not only suffer from killing but they also face multiple forms of hardship, especially in Gaza, including psychological pressures caused by the ongoing war, loss of family and friends, disruption of education, displacement, and starvation. The food crisis has escalated to life-threatening levels amid the comprehensive siege, prevention of humanitarian aid entry, and the complete collapse of infrastructure and essential services, including clean water and healthcare. These conditions pose a real danger to every young man and woman in the Strip. In the West Bank, youth face another threat in the form of arrest and forced displacement due to settlement expansion and repeated raids, threatening their presence on their land and pushing them toward forced internal displacement. These actions violate international laws and further restrict the chances of youth remaining in their communities.

Unemployment remains the biggest obstacle for these youth, according to statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. In 2024, unemployment rates in the West Bank reached about 49% among females and 38% among males. The crisis is even more severe in Gaza, with an unemployment rate of approximately 69%, and a catastrophic 80% unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 29, amidst the ongoing siege, aggression, and destruction of the sector’s economic infrastructure.

Palestinian youth rise from the rubble to leading humanitarian efforts to create hope and spearhead initiatives serving their communities, children, women, and neighborhoods despite these dire conditions, limited resources, massive destruction of infrastructure. Thousands of Palestinian youth lost  their homes and dreams, but they persist to continue their humanitarian actions  driven by the belief that their actions today can lay the foundation for a free, just, and dignified future. Palestinian youth work on the front lines of humanitarian response—from providing emergency aid to displaced families, supporting education in camps, organizing psychosocial support campaigns for children, to assisting medical teams and rescue units—despite facing the same risks and living under the same overcrowded and dire humanitarian conditions.

These efforts stem from a deep conviction in the youth’s ability to protect the social fabric and strengthen resilience. Palestinian youth are not just survivors—they are agents of resilience  and change. They face impossible challenges daily with determination, creativity, and profound commitment to their people. Their work and initiatives inspire the world and send continuous messages and calls to stand with them, end the war, and support their rights and those of the Palestinian people according to international laws and charters.

ActionAid Palestine and its partners support the roles of youth in humanitarian response during emergencies and crises. The organization also collaborates with local and international partners to empower Palestinian youth through various programs that raise awareness of their political, economic, and social rights, and develop their skills in diverse fields, especially green skills, to enhance their active participation in the transition to a sustainable green economy and in responding to climate change challenges.

ActionAid Palestine calls on the international community to pressure Israel to respect the rights of the Palestinian people and to immediately stop all violations against all groups, especially youth, women, and children. It also urges national governments to provide environments and spaces that enable youth to actively participate in decision-making, recognizing them as true partners in positive change and community development.

About ActionAid International

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people across more than 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a just and sustainable world where every individual enjoys the right to a dignified life and freedom, a world free from poverty and oppression. We work towards social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication.

ActionAid Palestine began operations in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs engaging Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civic and political participation to understand their rights and engage collectively in addressing rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. It also seeks to improve their leadership capacities and citizenship practice by holding authorities and other responsible parties accountable.

For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy Officer, ActionAid Palestine
Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org