Rand: Model of Youth Leadership at the Heart of Humanitarian Response

Occupied Palestinian Territory - At just 27 years old, Rand embodies the strength and resilience of Palestinian youth who are stepping into leadership roles to support their communities in the face of occupation and war. Rand continues her life and community work carrying both the weight of daily restrictions under occupation and the responsibility of supporting her people through crisis.

“As a young woman under occupation, life feels suffocating,” Rand explains. “Your movement, your speech, even your ability to dream is restricted. But what we live through gives us the determination to act, to protect our communities.”

Despite this grim reality, this determination has defined the humanitarian response led by Palestinian youth across the West Bank. In the aftermath of the war on Gaza, Rand joined other young leaders in conducting needs assessments for displaced families, women, and children. Supported by ActionAid, they designed surveys, gathered data, and translated people’s voices into actionable reports. From there, they connected families with legal aid, psychosocial support, and recreational activities for children suffering from trauma.

“We weren’t just volunteering a few hours,” Rand reflects. “We became case managers, leaders, and partners to our communities. Our closeness to the people meant we understood their pain and could respond in ways that were both immediate and meaningful.”

Challenging Community’s Perception for Youth 

Youth-led humanitarian action has not been without its challenges. Rand believes that youth have a unique role in times of crisis. “We are part of the community, working with and for the community. We know its needs, we know what works best. Our interventions come from lived experience.” Despite skepticism from older generations and institutions, Rand and her peers proved they could deliver professional, impactful results. Rand and her peers try to change the perception of community members towards youth that perceives youth only as temporary volunteers. Rand says: “the hardest part is being taken seriously, but we proved—through research, professional reporting, and effective interventions—that youth are not just helpers. We are leaders.”

Rand represents the new Palestinian generation of youth leaders that is also weaving networks of solidarity—building resilience not just for today, but for the future. ActionAid supports these young people as Rand by providing them with knowledge and humanitarian training to promote their roles in strengthening the social fabric of Palestinian society under immense pressure.

Youth Participation is a Necessity, not an Option

For Rand, youth participation is not optionality is essential. “Palestinian youth must not be kept at the margins. We deserve a seat at the decision-making table. We want to shape the policies and priorities that affect our communities.”

Palestinian Youth Demands  

Her vision goes beyond survival. She dreams of a Palestine where the health, education, and well-being of young people are at the center of rebuilding efforts, where communities are healed spiritually as well as physically. For Rand, a ceasefire in Gaza is not only about stopping bombs, but also about restoring dignity and humanity.

“The world must understand,” she says firmly, “this is not just a story of suffering. It is a story of resilience, of stolen rights and futures—but also of youth who refuse to give up. We are here to lead, to heal, and to rebuild.”

ActionAid works hand in hand with young people to strengthen youth-led action and empowerment through skills training, capacity building, and initiatives rooted in social justice and gender equality. By establishing Global Platforms as hubs for gathering, networking, and advocacy, ActionAid provides safe and dynamic spaces where youth can organize, share experiences, and drive campaigns for change. ActionAid’s approach combines training in leadership, project management, and rights awareness to help young people actively participate in decision-making processes and influence both formal and “claimed” spaces. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories and beyond, ActionAid supports youth-led humanitarian responses—such as the Humanitarian Youth Group—proving that young people are not only responders but leaders during crises and emergencies. Guided by a feminist and human rights-based approach, ActionAid ensures that youth voices, particularly those of young women, are at the heart of programming across diverse fields including climate justice, democratic governance, humanitarian action, and sustainable development. Through this holistic work, ActionAid’s ultimate goal is to empower young people to become influential leaders and resilient agents of positive change, fostering civic and political participation while creating enabling environments that support youth activism and strengthen their role in shaping the future of their communities. 

About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people in over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive to build a just and sustainable world where every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom, and a future free from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice, gender equality, and the eradication of poverty.

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, affirming their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs in collaboration with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women, seeking to empower women and youth and enhance their active civic and political participation. The organization works to strengthen their understanding of rights, support collective action to address rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation and improve their leadership capacities to exercise citizenship and hold authorities and other duty-bearers accountable.

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