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ActionAid Palestine to Continue Improving Preventive Measures for Combating COVID-19 in the Occupied Gaza Strip

Members of youth and women preparedness and response committees from AAP’s partners are preparing hygiene kits and food parcels to be distributed to the marginalized women and families in Gaza under AAP’s emergency interventions responding to COVID-19
Members of youth and women preparedness and response committees from AAP’s partners are preparing hygiene kits and food parcels to be distributed to the marginalized women and families in Gaza under AAP’s emergency interventions responding to COVID-19
ActionAid Palestine Staff Member

Gaza Strip-Occupied Palestinian Territory(oPt)-ActionAid Palestine (AAP) continues its emergency interventions in Gaza to respond to the needs of the marginalized women and communities to combat COVID-19.

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(photo of Youth volunteers during Preparedness  and Response Actions)

During May, AAP and its partners including the Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association (PDWSA) and Al-Aqsa Sport Club identified the needs of the most vulnerable groups to counteract the impact of this virus, particularly due to the current state of complete lockdown in the besieged enclave. The hygiene and food needs of Palestinian women-headed households were decided based upon a rapid need assessment conducted along with our partners on the ground to provide services that are compatible with the nature and scale of the needs. 

 

A group of people standing in a room Description automatically generated

(photo of young women and young men during Preparedness and Response Actions)

1000 households were provided with hygiene kits to contain the spread of the virus in eight communities in the middle area of Gaza in partnership with PDWSA including(Wadi Al-Salqa-Abu Al-Ajin ,West Al Zawaida, Al Mosadar, Hijer Al-Deek,Wadi Gaza, Al-Mughraqah and  Al Nuseirat).This response was funded by  Disaster Preparedness and Response Fund (DPRF) managed by ActionAid International. Food parcels were distributed on 617 households in Al Nuseirat and AL Mughraqah in partnership with Al-Aqsa Sport Club through AAP’s Child Sponsorship programme which is based on human rights.

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(photo of food hygiene items provides by AAP to marginalized women and families in Gaza)

This response aimed to strengthen the resilience of those households whose living conditions were increasingly deteriorated under the current state of complete lockdown due to the spread of virus  especially in light of the social and economic challenges resulting from the prolonged blockade on Gaza over the 13 years.

A person standing in a room Description automatically generated

(photo of young men during Preparedness and Response Actions)

The response was proactively designed by integrating the needs of the elderly, people with disabilities and the approach of gender lens and analysis to combat COVID-19. This integration aimed to mitigate the multifaceted effect of this crisis on them and ensure that humanitarian assistance effectively and equitably protects women, girls, men and boys and capitalizes on their respective capacities and benefits.

 A group of people preparing food in a kitchen Description automatically generated 

(photo of AAP’s staff members while are preparing hygiene kits and food parcels to be distributed to the marginalized women and families in Gaza under AAP’s emergency interventions responding to COVID-19)

As the collective lockdown affects the current social gender roles, new dynamics were reinforced including loss of livelihoods under the lack of social protection in informal sector. As such, for those (namely women and girls) that already experience strict control over their movement, access to resources and general rights. The responsibility of maintaining the cleanliness of the household is also increasing burdens and negatively affecting the psycho-social status of women and girls as primary domestic caregivers. An increase in domestic violence is also being experienced as more people are confined to their homes.