“Safety Is a Gain” Initiative: A Model of Essential Role of Palestinian Youth in Humanitarian Response and Early Recovery Plans in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip – Occupied Palestinian Territory - Palestinian youth represent diverse models of community, voluntary, and humanitarian action that strengthen community resilience, particularly during crises and emergencies resulting from the repeated wars on the Gaza Strip, most recently the Israeli war since October 2023, as well as the occupation and the illegal military escalation in the West Bank. In this context, Palestinian youth implement a wide range of initiatives that reflect their awareness and effectiveness in confronting accumulated humanitarian crises. Young people have taken the lead in launching innovative community initiatives in the fields of emergency response, psychosocial support, awareness of the risks of war remnants, child protection, as well as non-formal education and community relief initiatives.
These initiatives are distinguished by being rooted in real needs on the ground and by relying on creative tools and digital means to reach the widest possible audience, despite limited resources and ongoing challenges. Youth participation in these initiatives demonstrates that young people in Gaza are not merely affected by crises, but are active partners in strengthening community resilience, contributing to early recovery, building a safer and more humane future, and showcasing leadership and initiative.
The war on the Gaza Strip has left devastating impacts, alongside immense challenges to humanitarian response and the implementation of early recovery plans due to Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies and essential materials, the massive destruction of infrastructure (hospitals, water, and sanitation systems), and mass displacement that has led to severe overcrowding in camps, insecurity, and obstacles to aid access. These conditions exacerbate the spread of diseases and expose the population to serious health and social risks, compounded by severe funding shortages and the destruction of the capacities of relief teams themselves. In addition, explosives and remnants of war remain under the rubble and in destroyed areas, continuing to pose grave risks to the lives of residents and displaced people returning to their homes and neighborhoods.
Within this context, Palestinian youth have proven to be at the forefront of early humanitarian response, not only as beneficiaries but as leaders, initiators, and solution-makers rooted in the realities of their communities.
ActionAid Palestine, in partnership with Wefaq for Women and Child Care and other local partners, works to support youth-led committees, including Women-Led Protection Committees, Preparedness and Response Committees, and Social Accountability Committees. These youth committees possess the ability to create sustainable change at both individual and community levels.
Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in 2023, youth-led committees have played a pivotal role in humanitarian and community response. They have supported affected communities through coordinating emergency assistance, raising awareness of risks, and providing initial psychosocial support, particularly for children and women. Despite scarce resources and extremely dangerous conditions, these committees have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation, serving as a vital link between local communities and humanitarian actors, strengthening social solidarity and amplifying the voice of youth amid the war.
The “Safety Is a Gain” initiative was launched by local youth committees affiliated with Wefaq for Women and Child Care. The initiative represents a living example of the pivotal role Palestinian youth play in protecting lives and enhancing community awareness during the early recovery phase in the Gaza Strip. It emerged in response to an urgent need, as residents, especially children and adolescents began returning to devastated areas lacking even the minimum levels of safety, amid widespread war remnants and unexploded ordnance that pose real threats to their lives. Unexploded munitions constitute a severe danger to civilians, particularly as hundreds of thousands of people moved following the ceasefire. More than two years of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have resulted in extensive contamination with explosive remnants of war, negatively affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid, slowing recovery, rendering reconstruction efforts extremely hazardous, and posing a direct threat to civilian lives.
Youth as the First Line of Defense in Humanitarian Response
The youth leading this initiative seek to increase community awareness of protection and prevention measures related to explosives, especially in light of restrictions on the entry of machinery and materials needed for explosive clearance. The initiative focused on empowering 21 young men and women from local committees by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills in raising awareness of the dangers of explosives and war remnants. These youth played a leadership role in transferring this knowledge to their communities by designing and implementing creative awareness activities targeting children and adolescents of both genders, as well as displaced people returning to their homes and residents of areas from which the occupation had withdrawn from in the governorates of Khan Younis and Rafah.
Members of the youth committees utilized available means to implement their initiative by leading grassroots community campaigns that employed creative approaches such as puppet shows, peer-to-peer awareness sessions, and leaflet distribution. These efforts empowered local communities with life-saving knowledge on how to identify sources of danger and avoid them, particularly for children driven by curiosity. In doing so, youth filled gaps in formal education and bridged the needs of populations living amid vast amounts of rubble and explosives. Awareness methods led by youth included theatrical performances, educational cinema, direct workshops, the production of digital and visual media materials, and the distribution of awareness leaflets. This diversity reflected a deep understanding of the local context and the needs of different groups, helping deliver awareness messages in simplified and engaging ways, especially for children aged 6–17.
Salam Zaarab, one of the young women involved in the initiative, said: “The ‘Safety Is a Gain’ initiative was not just an activity; it was a message. It left a deep impact, awakened genuine community awareness of the importance of prevention, protection, and preserving lives, and proved that safety is a collective responsibility that begins with the individual and ends with the community.”
Early Recovery Begins with Protecting People
The concept of early recovery is not limited to physical reconstruction; it begins with protecting people and ensuring their safety and dignity. From this perspective, the “Safety Is a Gain” initiative contributed to reducing risks that could lead to injuries or loss of life by raising community awareness and promoting safe behaviors when dealing with war-affected environments. The impact of initiative also extended to the digital space through awareness-raising on social media, broadening its reach to wider segments of society.
Mohannad Abu Hashem who is one of the participant members of the initiative stated: “The ‘Safety Is a Gain’ initiative was about protecting and saving lives. As youth capable of change, it was our national duty to advise and raise awareness to protect people from any danger around them.
Mustafa Al-Hessi as an active member of this initiative said: “When we plant awareness, we harvest safety. I am proud to have participated in the ‘Safety Is a Gain’ initiative, which carried a noble message that upholds human dignity and places safety first.”
Iman Kasouha added: “The ‘Safety Is a Gain’ initiative was not just an initiative; it was a human experience that strengthened our spirit of cooperation and a sense that every individual has a real role in protecting themselves and their community.”
These committees have become an inspiring model for other youth in surrounding areas. The positive, community, and sustainable impact created by youth-led committees extends beyond their members to include strengthening intergenerational dialogue and improving the image of youth in the eyes of policymakers. This impact also includes changing community perceptions of youth, achieved through the innovative and distinctive tools young people used in implementing their initiatives. For example, they utilized electronic and digital competitions to address issues of gender-based violence and raise women’s awareness of cyber security. Youth have also been able to create broad networking and relationship-building opportunities, expanding their professional prospects. In addition, youth gained a deeper understanding of local issues and governance structures through their practical participation in governance processes.
ActionAid works with local partners in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to strengthen and build the capacities of Palestinian youth. ActionAid’s approach to supporting youth focuses on empowering them to become leaders of change by investing in their capacities, enhancing their civic and political participation, and supporting their community initiatives particularly in the areas of resilience, humanitarian response, and the development of leadership and life skills with a strong focus on social justice and equality. ActionAid seeks to strengthen the leadership roles of Palestinian youth by supporting local initiatives, building capacities, and providing safe spaces that enable them to lead change within their communities. Through this approach, ActionAid aims to transform youth from aid recipients into key actors in designing and implementing humanitarian solutions, enhancing sustainability and ensuring that responses are grounded in local realities and community knowledge. This approach also aligns with ActionAid’s commitment to humanitarian principles, a rights-based approach, and empowering affected communities to lead their own recovery pathways.
About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people across over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a world founded on justice and sustainability, where everyone enjoys a life of dignity, freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. Our work focuses on achieving social justice, gender equality, and eradicating poverty.
ActionAid began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, grounded in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. In Palestine, ActionAid implements various programmes through engagement with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women. We aim to empower women and young people, enhance their effective civic and political participation, deepen their understanding of their rights, and mobilize them to engage in collective action to address rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. Additionally, we work to strengthen their leadership capacities and support them in practicing active citizenship by holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable.
For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy coordinator – ActionAid Palestine