Donate today to provide humanitarian relief to help families in Gaza
Global Communities has worked in the West Bank and Gaza since 1994, and has developed hundreds of partnerships with ministries, local governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and others. These partnerships are a foundational part of our commitment to increasing quality of life and economic opportunities for the Palestinian people.
Our work has included emergency response and humanitarian aid, as well as developing infrastructure, improving the environment, and expanding economic opportunity and job creation.
In addition to connecting families with basic necessities in times of crisis, our programs also take the long view, working to build a sustainable long-term mortgage market and encourage homeownership, and investing in the extraordinary potential of Palestinian youth.
In the West Bank and Gaza, Global Communities advises the World Bank on institutionalizing civic engagement in water sector management and helped establish a national youth organization focused on voluntarism, democracy and good governance. Following 2023’s war between Israel and Hamas, Global Communities launched a rapid response to the humanitarian crisis with funding from private sector entities in Palestine and the region.
A Message from our CEO
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Since October 7, we have witnessed the devastating impact of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the suffering and escalating loss of human life. Our thoughts are with every individual facing the unimaginable consequences of this violence, reminding us of especially the vulnerability of children, women, and the elderly during such times.
We welcome the recent United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. A steady and robust flow of humanitarian assistance is necessary to ease human suffering in Gaza. It is also an imperative to Global Communities as an organization as we seek to fully carry out our humanitarian responsibilities and our duty of care to our Palestinian employees. We believe that a ceasefire and adherence to international humanitarian law are essential to preserving our commitment to honoring the dignity and common humanity of all people and to successfully deliver the humanitarian assistance which is central to our mission.
At Global Communities, our priority and guiding principle is the delivery of humanitarian aid to those severely affected. Our dedication to this cause is matched by the incredible courage of our staff in Gaza, who, despite their own losses and hardships, continue to facilitate our humanitarian response with steadfast dedication. Their courage in the face of danger is a powerful testament to the values we hold dear at Global Communities. From distributing essential supplies, food parcels, and hot meals to offering warmth, psychosocial support and improved water and sanitation, our staff demonstrate our collective commitment to those in need.
As we navigate this time, our connection—rooted in our shared humanity and a longing for peace—remains strong. Our work is far from over, and your support is crucial as we continue to provide relief and foster stability in Gaza and beyond. Let's hold fast to our shared commitment to dignity, peace, and the principles that uphold the value of every life.
Embracing our common humanity,
Carrie Hessler Radelet
CEO and President of Global Communities
Mobilizing a Collaborative Emergency Response
In the wake of recent escalations in Gaza, Global Communities has mobilized its extensive network and partnerships to deliver critical support. Our collaborative efforts with key partners like the World Food Programme and the Bank of Palestine, enhanced by local partnerships, have been vital in addressing the extensive needs of families across the region.
Central to our response has been the distribution of essential supplies, adapting to the evolving needs of displaced populations. Initially, this involved providing food vouchers to households, enabling them to purchase necessary items. As needs shifted, our focus turned to in-kind food distribution, including hot meals and food parcels capable of sustaining a family of five for two weeks. The parcels have been particularly targeting families living outside of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) centers. Winterization support has also been a significant component of our support, offering materials to assist families through the colder months.
Global Communities is coordinating closely with other NGOs in Gaza, the West Bank and Egypt, ensuring a cohesive and efficient response. Our extensive distribution network across Central and Southern Gaza has positioned us uniquely to aid other organizations in their distribution efforts, allowing us to extend our reach. This includes the distribution of non-food items like water and hygiene products alongside our food aid, maximizing the impact and breadth of our support.
Enhancing Food Security and Dignity
For 20 years, Global Communities has partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) to increase the food security of non-refugee families living below the poverty line in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Global Communities’ long-term partnership with WFP has enabled us to work across forms and transfer modalities of humanitarian assistance, supporting general food distribution, food distribution tied to work and training programs, and electronic vouchers. In 2021, Global Communities was selected as the implementing partner for a cash-based transfer assistance program and served a monthly caseload of 99,000 participants. Each participant received a pre-paid credit card to shop for food items at designated stores across the community, strengthening the local economy and preserving participants’ decision-making authority to meet their families’ food needs as they see fit.
Empowering Women and Girls in the Gaza Strip
Prior to the current war between Israel and Hamas, Global Communities, in partnership with Aisha Organization and in collaboration with WFP, was working to deliver targeted support to women heading vulnerable households. Based on an individual empowerment model, the approach provided psychosocial and legal support through individual and group engagement, counseling sessions, family counseling, home visits and gender-based violence awareness sessions, including the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Improving Health through Water and Sanitation
Prior to the current war between Israel and Hamas, Global Communities was advancing public health and livelihoods in Palestine through a water, sanitation and hygiene initiative that enhanced access to clean water and improved sanitation for households. This initiative also strengthened community resilience by preparing for and mitigating future water and sanitation-related disasters.
Advancing Growth for Palestinian Enterprises
Collaborating with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Global Communities aimed to bolster the competitive spirit and growth of Palestine's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Focused on fostering sustainable economic growth, we worked to improve income levels, secured productive employment, and encouraged inclusive economic expansion, particularly for women and youth. Global Communities leveraged local networks including the private sector, government, financial institutions, donors, development programs and other key stakeholders in Palestine to catalyze enterprise competitiveness and growth that showed the greatest income and employment generation potential for women and youth.
Cultivating Participatory Governance
Global Communities supported efforts to increase citizens' civic participation as they advocated for positive changes to improve overall living conditions for Palestinians. This initiative supported citizens, the civil society sector, independent media organizations, professional organizations, unions and other relevant stakeholders operating in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza to become more active in public decision making and advocacy for citizens' rights.
Expanding Access to Credit
Through Vitas Palestine (operating as Ryada in Gaza) Global Communities has been providing loans to Palestinians left out of the formal financial sector since 1994. Considered one of the first credit programs in the Palestinian territories, Ryada started providing home improvement loans to families in Gaza. Based on the strong success of the program and the positive impact it had on clients’ lives, Ryada expanded to the West Bank in 2001, where the company now operates as Vitas Palestine. Today, Vitas Palestine provides micro and small loans for home improvement, business development, and residential land and apartment purchases to help Palestinians realize their potential and become full social and economic participants in their communities. Vitas Palestine is one of the largest microfinance providers in the West Bank and Gaza, with a portfolio of 12,864 clients, $48.2 million in loans and 10 branch offices.
272,607
days of total employment created by Palestine Local Government and Infrastructure program
45%
of participants in the Engineering Fellows program were women
10,000
young people reached by Youth Local Councils to increase community engagement
Recent Programs
Rebuilding Critical Infrastructure Destroyed by Conflict
With the support of the United Nations’ oPt Humanitarian Fund, and in partnership with the Beit-Lahia Development Association, Global Communities restored access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities for 380 households in Northern Gaza. Where WASH infrastructure was destroyed in the 2021 conflict, the program provided cash for facility repairs and electronic vouchers for household items. Repairs focused on water storage tanks, toilets, hand-washing stations, water supply connections and sewage collection connections.
Advancing Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Global Communities was a proud implementing partner of the World Food Programme’s efforts to enhance the resilience of vulnerable families through climate-smart agricultural livelihoods. This innovative project provided some of the poorest and most severely food insecure households across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with a range of climate-resilient agricultural assets to improve their immediate food security and build sustainable livelihoods. The assets ranged from hydroponic vegetable and green fodder production units to wicking beds, home gardens, floating beds, greenhouses and livestock. Training and coaching were provided to boost participants’ technical skills to effectively use these assets to harvest and consume fresh vegetables, produce fodder and sell the surplus to enhance their livelihoods. The project was run in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Agriculture.
Strengthening Citizen Engagement in the Water Sector
The World Bank Group (WBG) adopted a strategic framework to mainstream citizen engagement in supported policies, programs, projects and advisory services that improved development results and contributed to building sustainable national systems for citizen engagement with governments they support. As part of its support to the water sector in the West Bank and Gaza, the WBG, in partnership with Global Communities, worked to help the Palestinian Water Authority develop a sustainable national system for citizen engagement in the water sector.
Community-Led Development and Infrastructure
Global Communities implemented the Palestine Local Government and Infrastructure program, a $100 million effort to promote an enabling environment for good local governance and provide the basic infrastructure necessary for sustainable improvements in the quality of life of Palestinians. Working with community leaders, municipal governments and other community-based organizations, the program improved living conditions through sustainable, multi-sector, high-priority infrastructure and economic development projects identified through robust and highly participatory processes. The program strengthened local governments’ abilities to respond to community needs, improved policy and regulations and generated employment. Following the 2014 conflict in Gaza, Global Communities pivoted $5 million in project funds to quickly and effectively deliver essential humanitarian relief, including urgent food assistance, water and non-food items, benefiting nearly 200,000 vulnerable individuals.
Promoting Youth Engagement in the Water Sector
Global Communities worked with the Palestinian Water Authority and the World Bank to establish a Water Youth Committee, enhancing participation, increasing the voice, and advancing the agency of young people in building their own futures. Global Communities contributed to policy development, service delivery enhancement and monitoring and evaluation of service providers and helped mainstream and institutionalize Youth Committee engagement with government officials.
Dignity for Displaced Households
Following the violent conflict in 2021, Global Communities partnered with Bank of Palestine and the World Food Programme to provide assistance to internally displaced and critically affected households in Gaza. The rapid response collaboration leveraged a donation campaign by the Bank of Palestine and the World Food Programme’s electronic voucher program, which pivoted from typical usage for food assistance to ensure displaced families could maintain their dignity by shopping for needed hygiene items from toothbrushes to laundry detergent.
Agritech Hackathon: Using Technology for Good
With the support of the Portland Trust, Global Communities implemented a first of its kind hackathon, highlighting technology as an enabler and catalyst for solving agriculture production related issues. The event helped develop new technical applications to improve productivity, created links between Palestinian innovators, end-users of the applications, potential investors, entrepreneurs and donors, and engaged youth in the agriculture sector. More than 70 youth participated in the hackathon and designed more than 10 innovative ideas to solve challenges at the national economic, social and environmental levels. The ideas were evaluated and supported by experts in the field including the Ministry of Agriculture, PARC, Gaza Sky Geeks and Agribusiness Accelerator.
Shiam-Youth Make the Future
Shiam-Youth Make the Future is a locally registered Palestinian non-governmental, nonprofit organization that aims to spread the principles of good citizenry, human values, gender equality and mainstreaming, democracy and good governance among Palestinian youth. Shiam is the spinoff organization of the internationally recognized Palestinian Youth Local Councils (YLCs) program initiated by Global Communities in 2008 to develop youth as accountable leaders who effect positive change in society. Shiam was founded by Palestinian youth advocates, YLCs alumni and non-partisan civic engagement activists. It was established to sustain the YLCs, scale up and institutionalize their national presence, provide an advocacy platform for effective policy change, and build youth capacity through targeted training and practical engagement. Global Communities has been incubating Shiam since its establishment in 2018, focusing on seven functional areas to support Shiam’s efforts as a sustainable, mission-driven youth organization.
Our Work in West Bank/Gaza
Early Recovery & Market Systems
Advancing Market-Based Recovery
Food Security & Agricultural Livelihoods
Promoting Post-Emergency Food Production
Expanding Economic Opportunity
Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and Community Savings and Lending Groups
The Vitas Group
Financing a Better World
Positive Youth Development
Equipping Young People for Leadership and Success
Building Resilience
Innovations to Lay the Foundation for Long-Term Recovery
Financial Inclusion
We deliver essential solutions to complex development challenges, resulting in a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.
Food Security & Nutrition
Delivering Food Aid and Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods
Humanitarian Assistance
Meeting Human Needs in Conflict, Crisis and Disaster
Resources
Briefs & Case Studies
‘Survival, Resilience and Solidarity’: Our Relief Efforts in Gaza (Arabic Translation)
Now over four months in, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, with one in four households facing famine levels of food insecurity and severely limited access to safe water. “Our mornings begin with a silent check – are the kids, is everyone, alright?” said Mohammad, one of 74 staff members from Global…
NEWS
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