The Issue
The severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by the ongoing war has led to widespread displacement, casualties, and destruction of infrastructure. Vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, face heightened risks, including exposure to gender-based violence (GBV), loss of livelihoods, and inadequate access to essential services such as water, sanitation, and psychosocial support.
With nearly 2.3 million Palestinians affected, including 493,000 displaced women and girls, the war has exacerbated vulnerabilities due to structural gender discrimination, psychological stress, and a lack of dignified shelter and basic necessities. Damage to water and sanitation facilities has increased health risks, while GBV survivors struggle to access protection services and support. The escalation of violence has disrupted coping mechanisms and strained humanitarian efforts. Urgent needs include multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA), safe sanitation facilities, hygiene kits, and survivor-centered GBV services, including mental health and psychosocial support.
The Project
This critical humanitarian project aimed to restore dignity and safety for war-affected households. With a focus on women and girls, the project delivered emergency cash assistance, essential water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, and survivor-centered psychosocial support. By addressing urgent needs in water, sanitation, and gender-based violence protection, DCA/NCA, and its partners, strived to alleviate suffering and enhance resilience in the most vulnerable communities.
The project pursued the following outcomes:
- People affected by crisis access lifesaving integrated protection and assistance appropriate and relevant to their immediate needs
- Communities affected by the crisis demonstrate improved hygiene practices and access to life-saving WASH services appropriate and relevant to their immediate needs.
- Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) access lifesaving, specialized SGBV services appropriate and relevant to their immediate needs
The Change
The project responded to critical gaps in the Gaza crisis, aiming to save lives, protect vulnerable groups, and provide dignity and resilience for affected households, particularly women and girls. It leveraged local partnerships and expertise to ensure culturally appropriate, inclusive, and sustainable assistance aligned with humanitarian principles.
Through multipurpose cash assistance, families could prioritize and meet their essential needs, such as food, water, or medical care, empowering them to regain a sense of control amidst the war. Hygiene and sanitation interventions significantly improved health outcomes by reducing the risk of disease and promoting safe practices. Women, men, and children gained access to essential hygiene items and benefit from targeted awareness activities, ensuring they can maintain safe and sanitary conditions. Additionally, repairs to sanitation facilities in shelters and the installation of mobile latrines provided safe, gender-appropriate spaces, enhancing dignity and security for all beneficiaries. For survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), the project delivered life-saving, survivor-centered services, including mental health and psychosocial support to foster healing and empowerment. Case management services connected survivors to the help they need, such as legal aid, counseling, and psychosocial support
The Results
The project has seen the following results regarding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH):
- Light repairs were conducted in the WASH facilities of 6 shelters – specifically schools hosting internally displaced persons.
- 7 mobile latrine units with 3 latrines each were installed in 7 locations in Deir al Balah and Khan Yunis. Hygiene promotion and awareness sessions were conducted with families in both locations, reaching more than 8000 individuals
- Hygiene kits have been distributed to 570 household
As for protection from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), the project has achieved the following:
- Psychological First Aid sessions have been provided to 550 women and girls.
- Structured individual psychological counseling has been provided to 112 women and girls.
- Structured group psychological counseling has been provided to 100 women and girls.
- Specialized MHPSS has been provided to 20 traumatized women and girls.
- Quarterly supervision and psychosocial support sessions by a psychiatrist have been provided to our partner, WAC’s 25 SGBV front-line staff.
- A training workshop has been conducted for a group of 25 front-line specialists SGBV staff from other organisations on detecting SGBV cases and providing quality case management.
- Integrated Case Management services have been provided for 90 women and girls.
Lastly, two rounds of emergency multi-purpose cash assistance have been provided to 56 women and their households.
Our Partners
MA’AN Development Center
MA’AN Development Center is an independent Palestinian development and training NGO established in January 1989, working in Gaza and the West Bank. MA’AN is one of the largest local agencies in Palestine, supporting both humanitarian, development and empowerment programming. MA’AN maintains a thorough portfolio and expertise in Cash and Voucher Assistance, WASH, food security and protection programming. The NGO is actively responding to the crisis in Gaza.
Women’s Affairs Center
Women’s Affairs Center (WAC) is an independent and non-profit Palestinian NGO. It has a declared purpose of empowering women and advocating women’s rights and gender equality through women’s protection and empowerment, research and knowledge management, as well as community engagement and advocacy programs.
WAC was established in August 1991 by a group of activist professional women and registered in 2001. The organisation has a long experience in providing safe, dignified and gender responsive multisectoral protection including services to the most vulnerable women/girls, survivors of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons, and female-headed households.
Our Work
DCA and NCA work in Palestine to support Palestinian communities in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem to be economically and socially resilient and active participants in decision making processes affecting their lives. This includes advocating for respect for international humanitarian law, human rights and a just peace. Since October 7, 2023, DCA/NCA has taken part in the humanitarian response to the war in Gaza.
About the project
Full title: WASH-GBV response to humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip-2024
Period: April 2024 – December 2024
Partners:
MA’AN Development Center
Women Affairs Center (WAC)
Funding: NOK 4,317,752
Number of people reached: 16,362
Main Donor: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
